3A PLAYOFFS: Firebirds eliminate Warriors

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 26, 2016 1:48 PM

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STANHOPE -- The enigma surrounding Eastern Wayne's basketball team this season has been its inability to play four complete quarters.

The third quarter, this time, told the tell Thursday evening.

Ethan Molloy's steal and assist to Kris Clark for an uncontested layup, gave the Warriors a 29-28 lead with 2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Southern Nash heated up offensively.

Damien Bryant's 3-pointer and Chris Lucas' work in the transition game propelled the Firebirds to a 59-44, second-round triumph in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A boys' basketball playoffs.

The Firebirds (17-8 overall) advanced to the third round for the first since 1988 when current Green Bay Packers linebacker Julius Peppers was a senior. Awaiting Southern Nash is top-seeded Eastern Alamance.

EW ended the year 7-21 overall.

"I told them at halftime that that this (third) quarter was going to be very interesting because they probably did not expect you to come here and this game be tied at halftime," said Warriors' coach Chris Roberts, whose team led 20-19 at the break and shot a paltry 19 of 68 from the floor for the game.

"We knew they were going to come out in the second half and play, and that's what they did."

Southern Nash switched to a 2-3 zone to avoid getting beaten off the dribble to the basket in the second half. The Firebirds, tri-champions of the Big East Conference, also forced the Warriors to take hurried shots.

EW converted just two field goals -- one each from Kris Clark and Matthew Ray-Sutton. Overall, the Warriors shot 7 of 37 from the floor in the second half.

"We were just fortunate they weren't falling."

Dae'One Willams' 3-pointer off Bryant's assist gave the Firebirds a double-digit advantage, 43-31, early in the fourth quarter. Eastern Wayne had turned up the pressure and Southern Nash pulled away at the free throw line.

The Firebirds knocked down 16 fourth-quarter free throws.

Eastern Wayne turned a two-point deficit into a 22-12 advantage early in the second quarter. Marcus Rouse's layup from Malyk Williams capped a 14-0 surge that forced Southern Wayne to burn a timeout.

"We weren't ready in the first half," Bryant said. "Nobody was playing to their abilities (and) we were fussing at each other. (We) didn't box out and had to stop being weak down low.

"We just weren't going after it as hard as we could. (When) the second half came around, we all got our minds right and started hustling."

Bryant buried a 3-pointer to force a 26-26 tie with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter. Eastern Wayne didn't answer the challenge and lost its focus on the offensive end of the court.

Roberts said his team, much like it has done all season, didn't weather the storm. Mistakes became more magnified and 17 turnovers proved crucial as the Warriors dropped to 0-3 in second-round postseason contests since 2007.

Ray-Sutton and Williams emerged as EW's top scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Clark scored seven in a reserve role, while Coriante Foye pulled down 12 rebounds.

Five seniors played their final game in a Warrior uniform -- East-West All-Star football selection KK Best, Molloy, Ray-Sutton, Chris Overcash and Ryan Moore.