3A PLAYOFFS: Hamilton ends stellar career at Eastern Wayne

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on February 26, 2016 1:48 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

Naheria Hamilton stood under the gym's west end scoreboard Thursday night, her brilliant prep career exhausted by way of her fifth personal foul.

A thousand-yard stare filled her eyes.

Across half court, Jacksonville's bench mob was forming, mobilizing in unison to celebrate an end-game, warp-speed comeback at the expense of Eastern Wayne, 70-54, in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association's Class 2-A girls' basketball playoffs Thursday evening.

The impression was fitting.

Hamilton looked every bit the Warrior, thoroughly spent in the aftermath of a 17-point, 13-rebound, eight-block performance -- an effort which capped one of the most prolific careers in Wayne County history, regardless of classification level.

And for three quarters, it appeared the effort would propel her squad into the championship's hallowed Sweet Sixteen.

Eastern Wayne moved the ball effectively in key stretches of the game's opening stanza, and was paced by the scoring punch of sophomore forward Tammaria Smith, who registered seven points in the quarter.

"So impressed with that girl," said assistant coach Laura Peedin, "she's improved every game throughout this season... and tonight really played her heart out."

Jacksonville, meanwhile, resembled the gang who couldn't shoot straight. The Cardinals fired 3-pointers that erred wildly. Wide-open layups clanged off the iron. They seemed content to settle for frantic, off-balance attempts influenced by the decisive reach of Hamilton.

Freshman Nya Mitchels, who scored 16 points in Jacksonville's opening-round victory against Oxford Webb, appeared visibly frustrated by her 6-foot-3 counterpart.

She finished the contest with just three points.

The Cardinals, however -- bouyed by the letter-perfect shooting form of junior guard Kimberly Skinner -- clawed their way to a 26-24 advantage at the break.

Treycie Ford opened the Warriors' third period with a triple from the right wing. What filled out the quarter's remainder was a varied mix of sharp play, turnovers and unbridled postseason intensity.

Another 3-pointer by Ford -- this time at the period's 6:35 mark -- provided Eastern Wayne its final significant advantage of the night. A technical foul on the Jacksonville bench -- called after a wild, back-and-forth exchange near mid-court â foreshadowed the evening's outcome.

As Hamilton missed both free throws, the Cardinals huddled at their bench.

What emerged was a different ball club.

Energized. Stronger with the ball.

It was a sudden, in-your-face, 94-foot makeover.

The visitors dialed up the pressure, shifted double teams with precision and converted steals into a revolving door of layups. By the time Hamilton committed her fifth foul with just over a minute remaining, the Cardinals had turned a sloppy, middling performance into the final few ticks of a decisive road victory.

"Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers," Peedin lamented. "We just lost momentum there at the end."

A final three-point play by Skinner -- who finished the night with a game-high 36 points -- effectively closed the door on Eastern Wayne, which finished the season with a 12-15 record.

It was a missed opportunity for the Warriors, whose controlled pace, rebounding advantage and rhythmic offense became the sacrifice of 22 turnovers.

Hamilton, whose career number of blocked shots ended at 538, will matriculate to Coastal Carolina University this fall. Her impact on the Warrior program, however, will linger -- as it often does with timeless players.

"She set the tone for us, all the girls on the team," Peedin reflected. "They looked to her. It will be very different without her next year."