BASKETBALL: Playoff pairings finally released

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 20, 2017 9:57 AM

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CHAPEL HILL -- A computer glitch and a Twitter message caused plenty of consternation among high school basketball coaches Saturday evening.

And the N.C. High School Athletic Association took plenty of criticism via social media regarding its decision to delay the proceedings for a day. Revisions occurred in several classifications before the Association officially finalized and released the brackets for the basketball playoffs mid-Sunday afternoon.

Now the sprint begins.

Nine teams in the News-Argus readership area will stroll toward the starting line when the postseason begins Tuesday. Four are at home -- Princeton (girls), Spring Creek (boys) and Eastern Wayne (girls and boys).

PHS won the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season title for the first time in three decades and completed the "double" with a victory over arch rival Rosewood in the tournament final. Seeded third in the Mideast, the Bulldogs (21-4 overall) entertain Chocowinity Southside, the No. 14 East seed.

Seeded second in the Mideast and co-champs of the Carolina 1-A Conference, the Gators (20-6) play host to Ocracoke, the East's No. 15 seed.

"We must maintain the same philosophy that we have had all year," SC head coach Taylor Jones said. "(We must) defend with intensity, rebound with a purpose, talk to encourage and build each other up, push and the share ball selflessly.

"And attack!"

Push the tempo is EW's mantra.

The Warrior girls (17-8) are seeded third in the East and welcome Eastern Guilford (No. 14 Mideast). Michael Gurganus is the third head coach to take EW to the postseason during the past five seasons.

"The key to advance each round would be to show up each game ready to play, focused on the task at hand," said Gurganus. "Take it one possession at a time. Defend on all accounts, know where to be and when, stay positive and move on to the next play no matter what."

Eastern Wayne's boys (11-14) are the East's No. 5 seed and face Western Alamance.

While those four teams enjoy the luxuries of home games, five will travel - Spring Creek girls, Charles B. Aycock girls, Rosewood girls, Princeton boys and Goldsboro boys.

"We're peaking at the right time," Goldsboro head boys' basketball coach Russell Stephens said after Friday's loss to Kinston in the Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference tournament final.

"We get to throw it up next week, so we've got to regroup. We're in a position now where we have to play and we have to play on the road. Being at this place (South Lenoir), in this tournament, probably helped us more than we know."

The Cougars (12-12) are seeded 15th in the Mideast and visit Jacksonville Northside, the No. 2 East seed. The two have met in the postseason before when Randy Jordan directed the Cougar basketball program.

All six ECC 2A teams are in the playoffs.

Princeton boys, one of five Carolina teams to earn a postseason nod, travel to Rocky Mount Prep - the East's top seed.

Spring Creek's girls (13-11) are making their second consecutive playoff appearance with head coach Charlie Cotten. They'll meet Lejeune for the third time after the two split their regular-season series with each winning on its home court.

CBA (12-11) heads to Terry Sanford, home of UConn assistant women's coach Shea Ralph. The Golden Falcons have won just six of their last 11 games after they started the season 6-0.

An eastern semifinalist last season, Rosewood (15-11) is the guest of Chocowinity Southside, which is a perennial playoff fixture. The Eagles emerged as the East regional runners-up in 2014 and 2015.

"The No. 1 thing we need to do to advance in the playoffs is to continue to raise our all-out level of intensity as well as continue to consistently play our style of basketball -- the Rosewood Eagles way," said first-year head coach Tee Wooten.

"We must play outstanding high pressure, chaotic defense, smart but aggressive attacking with the ball on offense and knock down our free throws at a high rate. Lastly, have fun and enjoy the ride game by game."