Lady Cougars clinch conference championship
By From staff reports
Published in Sports on February 13, 2011 1:51 AM
Girls' basketball
Goldsboro 60,
Ayden-Grifton 36
* LITTLEFIELD -- Alexus Myles led four players in double figures with a game-high 20 points, and Goldsboro secured the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season title with a 60-36 romp over Ayden-Grifton.
The Cougars (18-3 overall, 10-0 CC) seized the No. 1 seed for the season-ending, conference tournament and the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. The Chargers (8-2 CC) are the No. 2 seed.
Talaya Lassiter added 17 points for the Cougars, who have won all 20 regular-season Carolina Conference games since joining the league last season. Kasheika Wallace and Brandy Johnson contributed 10 points apiece.
Goldsboro led 26-22 at halftime, but broke the game open in the second half.
"I was pleased to see how the girls weathered a tough first half, and came out and put it away quickly in the second half," said Cougars head coach Latina Bullock-Davis. "They moved the ball extremely well and broke Ayden-Grifton's full-court pressure to get easy transition baskets."
The Cougars return to action Wednesday in the Carolina 1-A Conference semifinals at Princeton. Bullock-Davis' team opposes the North Duplin-Rosewood winner at 6:30 p.m.
Princeton 31, Rosewood 27
* Princeton opened up a double-digit, first-half lead, then held on for dear life in a 31-27 win over archrival Rosewood on Friday night.
The Dawgs held the Eagles to just six points in the first half.
After the intermission both teams let the emotion of a packed gym get to them and began fouling on nearly every possession. The squads combined for 44 free throw attempts. Princeton made 18-of-25 shots from the line to preserve the lead during a late Rosewood rally.
Amber Brush led the way for Princeton (8-17 overall, 5-5 CC) with nine points. Savanna Massengill added seven points, all from the free throw line.
Alicia Burns finished with a game-high 11 points to pace the Rosewood offense.
Rosewood (3-16, 3-7) will take on North Duplin on Monday in the opening round of the Carolina 1-A Conference tournament at Princeton. The Dawgs face Spring Creek in the nightcap.
Greenfield 57,
Wayne Country Day 34
* Greenfield exploded for 22 third-quarter points and handed Wayne Country Day a 57-34 setback in a battle of state-ranked teams Friday evening.
It was the Coastal Plains Independent 1-A regular-season finale for both teams.
Ashley Hughes collected a double-double (20 rebounds, 24 points) for the No. 3-ranked Damsels, who claimed the regular-season sweep over the No. 4-ranked Chargers. Jameka Thompson added 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Walker Finklea added 12 points -- all from 3-point range.
All-state guard Catherine Ford paced WCDS with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Mack Thompson contributed eight points and six boards. Kim Martell, the team's lone senior, added four points, five rebounds and four assists.
Sarah Best had eight points and three assists.
Wayne Country Day (12-6 overall, 3-3 CPIC) grabbed an 18-12 lead just before halftime. Greenfield closed the gap to 19-17 at the break, and Hughes dominated the post with 10 third-quarter points.
The teams meet again Friday in the CPIC semifinals at Wayne Country Day.
North Duplin 57,
Spring Creek 23
* SEVEN SPRINGS -- North Duplin opened up a 36-9 halftime lead and rolled to a 57-23 win over Spring Creek on Friday evening.
Jessica Jones paced the Rebels with 16 points and Briana Oliver added 14. Angelica Favela supplied 10 points. Janna Price led the Gators with seven points.
North Duplin begins Carolina 1-A Conference tournament play by facing Rosewood at 6:30 p.m. on Monday night at Princeton High School. Princeton plays host to Spring Creek at 8 p.m.
Bethel Christian 50,
Faith Christian 23
* KINSTON -- Bethel Christian found its shooting touch early in a 50-23 victory over Faith Christian on Saturday in the finals of the Coastal Region 2-A tournament.
Elizabethe Weeks led the Conquerors with seven points. Charity Spencer and Christina Powell both had six points. Faith faces Hickory Christian on Thursday at Fellowship Christian School in Durham in the first round of the N.C. Christian Schools Athletic Association 2-A state tournament.
Faith Christian 46, Berean 36
* KINSTON -- Faith Christian advanced to the Coastal Region 2-A tournament finals with a 46-36 win over Berean on Friday. Christina Powell had 19 points and seven steals for the Conquerors. Brianna Champion added nine points and eight rebounds. Elizabethe Weeks contributed eight points and eight rebounds.