East 3A semifinals: Defending state champ eliminates E. Wayne girls

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 8, 2015 1:52 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

FAYETTEVILLE -- Jasmine Covington leaned over, wrapped her arms around teammate Tianna Christopher and hugged her.

Christopher buried her tear-stained face in Covington's shoulder.

Shontel Monk stared toward the back of the near-empty, silent press room. Megan Mozingo choked back tears as she chewed on the collar of her jersey.

The four Eastern Wayne seniors, who had given their heart and soul to the women's basketball program throughout their careers, saw their undefeated campaign end prematurely Friday evening.

The No. 6-ranked Warriors (26-1 overall) couldn't overcome a season-high 36 turnovers and 19 missed free throws in a 57-47 loss to defending state champ Chapel Hill in the eastern 3-A regional semifinals at Crown Coliseum.

"The seniors led the team and left all that they had on the floor tonight, and that's all that you can ask them do," second-year Eastern Wayne head coach Phil Gray said.

The Tigers' intense and aggressive in-your-face pressure on defense sparked a 13-2 run after Mozingo drained a 3 on the game's first possession. Eastern Wayne trailed 17-8 after one quarter.

No problem.

The Warriors had been here before.

They matched Chapel Hill's tenacity and forced numerous mistakes which turned the nine-point deficit into a three-point halftime lead. Mozingo's second 3-pointer in the opening half pushed Eastern Wayne in front 19-17.

A free throw and Hamilton's backdoor layup kept it a one-possession game. Monk's offensive putback provided the four-point halftime margin.

The Tigers toiled through a 91/2-minute stretch without a field goal and hit just four free throws. Their first point of the quarter was Raziyah Farrington's free throw with 1:18 left before the break.

"This is first game this year where we haven't scored a basket in a quarter. The shots that we were taking we really good shots, they just didn't fall," Chapel Hill head coach Sherry Norris said.

Hamilton logged eight points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. She altered a couple of Chapel Hill field goal attempts throughout the game, but the Tigers' defense and the Warriors' inability to develop a consistent offensive rhythm proved critical in the second half.

Eastern Wayne (26-1 overall) committed 18 turnovers and Chapel Hill also recorded eight steals.

"Tonight was really the first night that we played against somebody that had that much pressure and we just couldn't handle it," Gray said. "At halftime I told the kids that champions always find a way to get back into the game. They found a way to get back into the game and come out victorious.

"They're a well-coached team.

Chapel Hill led 44-43 with 3:09 left in the fourth quarter. Eastern Wayne regained the lead on Christopher's 3-pointer and Gray pumped his fist in the air. Christopher clapped her hands and shouted "let's go!" as she raced back downcourt.

However, the Warriors would score just three more points. The No. 5-ranked Tigers (23-2) stayed in their pressure defense, scrambled for loose balls and ended the game with strong free throw shooting, including a 6 of 6 effort from senior guard Tamia Eatmon.

"They played a good defensive game," said Covington, who posted a double-double -- 12 points, 11 rebounds. "The press was hard to get around. We were rushing, too worried about getting baskets and not slowing the defense down. We had some turnovers.

"That was press was really strong."

The Tigers converted the Warriors' uncharacteristic miscues into 34 points and owned a 14-2 advantage in fast-break conversions. The teams battled through seven lead changes and seven ties until Eatmon (22 points) put the Tigers ahead for good at the free throw line.