PLAYOFFS: Moses drops career-high 55 points on N. Brunswick

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on February 24, 2016 1:48 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

The rally staged by Goldsboro High on Tuesday evening must qualify as the top highlight from the N.C. High School Athletic Association's opening round Class 2-A girls' basketball playoff matchups.

Cougar senior Tyona Moses -- out of time and anything else to give -- found Destiny Lucas alone in the lane for a buzzer-beating, game winning layup at Norvell T. Lee gymnasium. The result was a 74-72 victory over North Brunswick.

But from the outset, things weren't rosy.

Goldsboro had difficulty managing the play of Scorpion forward Jada Bellamy, who controlled both lanes and garnered eight points and three rebounds in the game's opening quarter.

Bellamy registered 24 points and 11 rebounds.

"We weren't fronting the post or being proactive," said Goldsboro head coach LaTina Bullock, "we were being lackadaisical."

She also bothered Moses -- a lot.

Goldsboro's all-everything performer had trouble in the early going, running into matchup problems at every turn in the half court. Courtesy of 14 first half turnovers, the Cougars trailed 43-28 at the break.

The second half began with a fiery Goldsboro run, punctuated by a Moses layup that cut the Scorpions' lead to just seven, 47-40. That's when Bellamy went back to work, scoring at will in the post and driving North Brunswick back to what seemed an insurmountable advantage.

After three quarters, the Scorpions led 64-46.

Then North Brunswick, aggressive and opportunistic all night, made the call to pull the basketball -- a strategy that surprised many, but not Bullock.

"I would have probably done the same thing (kill clock)," she said, "and I commend the girls for and following through with our press."

Indeed.

Forcing North Brunswick into a frenzy, the Cougars managed to build the formative stages of a closing run -- and that's when Moses, facing what could have been her final five minutes of prep basketball, morphed into a superhero.

Continuous movement to the basket. Bending, twisting layups. Ball handling in the middle of what seemed like a full SWAT team exercise.

The comeback was in proper swing -- until it wasn't.

Trailing 67-60, Moses was called for a foul near half court, then a subsequent technical for slamming the basketball to the hardwood in frustration. Her coach, ever calm, pulled her star for a moment of aggressive counsel.

"Just told her to stay focused," Bullock noted, " I understood the frustration. But you have to keep playing... we came back from being down almost 20, and why come that far and give it all away because we can't control our actions?"

She clearly got the message.

Following a series of Moses free throws, a deep pull-up triple and two North Brunswick turnovers, the stage was set for mayhem.

And it played out in spades.

After Taylor Perkins tied the ball game at 72, Goldsboro inbounded the ball in front of their bench. Following a near turnover, Moses saw Destiny Lucas alone under the basket -- along with a screaming crowd nearing its collective blood pressure zenith.

Lucas -- who scored but one basket on the night -- converted as the clock went to zero and a full-scale, mob celebration ensued. Bullock, appearing exhausted -- and likely exalted -- fell to her knees in front of the Goldsboro bench.

Moses, who officially scored 55 points on the night, acted as if nothing special happened. Perhaps that's why superheroes are superheroes.

But everyone saw it.

Just ask.