GIRLS' BASKETBALL: Princeton advances to Carolina 1A final

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on February 16, 2017 9:59 AM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- As the old Twain saying goes, the full value of joy resides in its division with someone else.

That seemed the motto Wednesday evening for the Princeton varsity girls' basketball outfit, whose balanced display of motion efficiency dispatched Spring Creek, 46-30, in semi-final round play of the Carolina 1-A Conference tournament at North Duplin High School.

The performance -- equal parts cold calculus and paint-by-numbers precision -- set up a date for the Bulldogs in Friday's tournament final versus the winner of tonight's tilt between Rosewood and Neuse Charter.

But at the outset, it didn't appear matters would unfold so smoothly.

Senior center and all-area candidate Jazmaine McCain picked up two fouls in the game's opening five minutes, forcing Princeton head coach Paula Wooten to sit her star center and rely instead on ball movement and disciplined effort in the half court.

Suffice to say, her move tendered immediate dividends.

Six different Bulldogs ran, screened and back cut their way to a place in the scorebook during a rapid-fire first stanza, creating a 30-12 halftime lead and serving notice that the blue-and-gold is more than a one-trick pony.

Much, much more.

"When she came out, we moved the ball really well," Wooten said. "I wanted more than one pass... that was the difference."

The opposite could be said of Spring Creek, however.

Time and again, the Gators -- who have played with confidence, pace and rhythm all season -- became still in the half court, appearing to search for a perfect shot when clean looks were readily available.

And when starting point guard Ashley Marriner left the game due to injury in the third period, matters grew even more dim for a Gator outfit seeking to topple the Carolina 1-A regular-season champion.

Exacerbating matters moments later was forward Jordan Lane's fifth foul, which forced Cotten and Co. to play the final 10 minutes with a complement of just four players.

"We had a game plan... but they outplayed us, out-hustled us and out-executed us," Cotten said of the evening. "They were trying, but probably thinking a bit too much -- and you can't play perfect basketball."

Princeton (20-4 overall) was paced by McCain, who registered 10 points and five rebounds. Emily Ricks netted nine points and snared seven boards, while senior Jordan Benson tallied 10 points.

Destiney Sutton's 15 points and five rebounds led Spring Creek (13-11), which ultimately fell victim to a seasoned group that delivered a balanced performance -- one their coach would very much like to see them replicate on Friday night.

"Records don't matter anymore," Wooten said of the one-and-done postseason environment. "You have to go out and earn every game. You have to execute."

Thus far, mission accomplished -- together.