Local digest

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 9, 2007 2:12 PM

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Lady Warriors win in OT

Avoid South Central.

Fourth-year Eastern Wayne women's basketball coach Brent Holland reminded his team that a loss could set up a possible first-round playoff meeting against the state-ranked Falcons.

Holland needn't worry now.

The Warriors upended Kinston 61-59 in overtime and completed the area's best one-season turnaround. After finishing in last place in the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference a year ago, Eastern Wayne (9-11 overall) tied Wilson Hunt for second at 6-4.

Holland's team swept the regular-season series from Hunt and seized the No. 2 seed for next week's ECC tournament. The Warriors will host a first-round contest in the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs, which begin Feb. 18.

Hunt slipped to No. 3 and drew the playoff date at South Central.

"We're extremely happy to get a win at home against a much-improved Kinston team," said Holland.

Eastern Wayne built a 13-point lead in the opening quarter and kept that advantage until the final eight minutes of action. The Vikings buried four of their 10 three-pointers in the fourth quarter to force overtime at 51-51.

"They created a matchup problem for us," said Holland. "They put one girl on the free throw line and put four wide, and just bombed us in our zone."

Yasmine Washington, the lone senior on the Warriors' roster, pumped in 16 points and shared team-high scoring honors with junior Brittani Billups. Noelle Kelly and Eboni Reid provided eight points apiece.

Courtney Smith led Kinston (6-15, 3-7 ECC) with 16 points.

Boys basketball

No. 1-ranked KHS

knocks off E. Wayne

Seniors Lamar Davis and D.J. Cowan each posted a double-figure scoring effort, but couldn't complete their Eastern Wayne careers with a home victory Thursday evening.

Cowan provided 14 points, five assists and five rebounds in the Warriors' 76-55 loss against No. 1-ranked Kinston. Davis added 10 points and four assists against the Vikings, who improved to 22-1 overall and claimed a share of the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference regular-season crown with Hunt.

Eastern Wayne (6-14, 4-6 ECC) finished in a three-way tie for third with Wilson Beddingfield and county archrival Southern Wayne. A coin flip was held Friday morning to determine seeds for next week's season-ending conference tournament.

Quinton Coples led three Kinston players with 18 points, including eight in the opening quarter. Reggie Bullock added 12 points -- all from three-point range and Bo Ingram contributed 10.

"Coples exploited us inside," said Warriors head coach Marvin Bowman. "They did a good job getting the ball to him on the post.

"Bullock made those 3-pointers early in the game which were big buckets for them."

Wayne Christian

suffers road loss

PANTEGO -- Eric Williams led three Wayne Christian players in double figures with 19 points in a 58-53, non-conference loss against state-ranked Terra Ceia on Thursday evening.

Nick Woods and T.A. Brannan provided 12 points apiece for the Eagles.

Terra Ceia entered the game ranked No. 5 in the latest N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A poll.

Wayne Christian (11-10 overall) entertains Norlina Christian in the opening round of the Carolina Christian 1-A Conference tournament Tuesday.

JV boys

So. Wayne slips

past C.B. Aycock

PIKEVILLE -- James Jones pumped in a game-high 16 points and Southern Wayne turned back county rival Charles B. Aycock 40-37 in the regular-season finale for both teams Thursday afternoon.

Keron Ward added 10 points for the Saints.

Tyheim Pitt and Kyle LaFlamme tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Golden Falcons. Aycock, which started the season 1-10, concluded the year 10-14 overall and 6-4 against Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference opposition.

JV girls

Warriors share

ECC 3-A crown

KINSTON -- Alta Black knocked down 14 points, but it wasn't enough in Eastern Wayne's season-ending 39-33 loss at Kinston.

The defeat allowed the host Vikings to tie the Warriors (11-5 overall) for the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference regular-season championship. Each team lost just two games in league play.

Tiara Campbell complemented Black with seven points.

Eastern Wayne started the week with a 51-49 victory over county rival C.B. Aycock. Richelle Butler scored 11 points, while Black and Campbell contributed eight points apiece.

Middle schools

Greenwood girls 35, Norwayne 29 -- Shamori Worrells scored 13 points and Denise Coley added nine in the T-Birds' road win. Greenwood (12-2 overall) remained unbeaten in eight Wayne County Middle School Athletic Conference Division I games. The T-Birds visit Dillard on Monday.

Norwayne boys 40, Greenwood 31 -- Ra'Damez Greene and Tyson Pearson knocked eight points apiece in the Cobras' WCMSAC Division I win. Norwayne (9-5 overall, 5-3 Division I) entertains Eastern Wayne on Feb. 15.

Dillard girls 44, Rosewood 13 -- Kasheika Wallace and Keandra McDaniel each delivered a 13-point outing for the Tigers. Machiaya Maye supplied 11 points and eight assists. Dillard (11-3 overall) plays host to Greenwood on Monday.