Harnett Central girls reach Tri-County hoops tournament final

by John Lucas | Feb 20, 2019 | Harnett Central

Lyndsey Brewer overcame illness with a big game for HC.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

Meeting for the fourth time this season, No. 5 Triton battled at top-seeded rival Harnett Central Tuesday, but the Trojans emerged with a 56-39 win to advance to Thursday’s championship game of the Tri-County Six 3-A Conference varsity girls basketball tournament.

“I think Triton came to play tonight,” said Harnett Central coach Chelsey Cabe. “I won’t take anything away from them as far as wanting to come ready to play. I think that Lya Molyneaux went in (off the bench) and did a good job. I thought that Brittany (Mills) at the top, when we went to that 1-3-1 half court (defense) started to get some steals and deflections and they started to get frustrated.

The first half, I know we were 2-for-7 from the free throw line and then we missed, had to be in double digits, layups. Our shots started falling in the second half.”

Triton coach Wendy Simmons cited a shortage of offense in the second half as a major difference.

“I think that was the difference in the second half,” Simmons said. “They were hitting and we weren’t. A little bit on the boards, I think we hurt ourselves by not getting the defensive rebounds we needed to get. But, I’m very proud of the girls. They laid it all out there tonight and if our shots had fallen, maybe it would have been a different outcome.”

Harnett Central won all four games against Triton this season.

It was not certain if Trojans (18-5) senior Lyndsey Brewer would be able to play Tuesday because of illness, but not only did she play, she had a career night to lead Central, with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

“Lyndsey steps up,” Cabe said. “I call Lyndsey ‘the silent leader.’ Whenever you don’t expect it, Lyndsey’s going to come through with her actions. She just works hard for everybody, not just for Lyndsey. That’s what makes her such a great player.

“She was in the bed all weekend (with the flu) and I told coach (Catherine) Griffin, ‘Lyndsey can’t catch a break. She’s still kind of weak.’ She told me this morning she was feeling a lot better, but she didn’t feel great. She was at practice yesterday, but she was pretty much there for moral support and she looked pitiful. But she wasn’t going to not be at practice, especially before a game to start the conference tournament.”

Fellow senior Keanna Womble also turned in a career performance with her first career double-double. She had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

“I think everything I say to Keanna, Keanna takes to heart,” Cabe said. “A lot of what I’ve been preaching on lately is, ‘We’re getting down to the last days. Your season’s almost over. You’re playing to advance. You’re playing to continue to play. When you lose, it’s done. And seniors, for some of you, this is it. This could be it forever.’ And I think Keanna is playing with that mentality that ‘I don’t want to be done. I don’t want to be done.’ And it shows on the floor. She was the spark in Union Pines (a 47-46 home win Friday). She was a constant tonight in post moves and working and defense.”

Lyanah Molyneaux had eight points, six rebounds and three steals. Brittany Mills had six points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Marcayla Jones had six points and four rebounds. Syniah McMiller had four points.

Senior Alexis Howard had 17 points, six rebounds and four steals and sophomore Kaila Cooney had 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Hawks (9-17).

Hannah Jackson had four points and four rebounds, Anaya Lockamy had three points and 10 rebounds, Zoie Starling had two points and Jordan Miles had one point. Anastasia McDonald had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

A full-court press defense was effective for Triton both against Central and the previous night at Lee County.

“We were kind of wondering what that was going to look like when we first played it against Lee County,” Simmons said. “In practice it was like, ‘OK girls, this is not how we want it to work.’ But it was like against a different team, they figured it out and we got some steals every now and then and put them in a little bit of a panic mode. But we didn’t always take advantage of the steals that we were able to get. But I think it put a little bit of pressure on them and I was pleased with it overall.”

“I don’t know that we were expecting them to press us,” Cabe said. “They hadn’t pressed us all year and I think it took the girls a little by surprise and it took them a little while to adjust to that.”

With the score tied 12-12 at the end of the first, Brewer opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to give Central the lead. Later in the quarter, holding a 19-17 lead, the Trojans scored four unanswered to take a 23-17 lead into halftime.

A Cooney three started Triton on a 7-0 run to take the lead to start the third quarter, but Central responded with 12 unanswered points to take the lead back for good.

Triton continued to battle the rest of the game, but could not close the gap.

The loss Tuesday brings Triton’s season to a close and ends the high school basketball career of three seniors: Anaya Lockamy, Alexis Howard and Hannah Jackson. But with multiple young players returning next season, the Hawks look to have a solid future.

“We lose three seniors that have meant a lot to the program over the last four years,” Simmons said. “We’re hoping to maybe get the JV program back instated (Triton did not have a girls junior varsity team this year). You get better playing games, definitely. But those freshmen stepped up and worked hard all season, started a couple of games and put in some good minutes for us. We’ll see what next year holds.”

Union Pines girls top Western

In the first game of the night at Central, No. 2 Union Pines won a 53-23 rout over No. 3 Western Harnett to also advance to the championship round.

“It was rough,” said first-year Western Harnett coach Matthew Smith. “It started out rough and I felt like we got better fourth quarter. We could have been in a boat and couldn’t throw it in the ocean. But I’m not going to say one bad word, because the girls, they finally kicked in. Even though the shots weren’t going in, at halftime we talked about not quitting and they didn’t quit.”

Senior Lahaina “LaLa” Bell had six points and senior Kaile McLean had five points to lead the Eagles (13-12).

Makyia Mackey and Morgan McInnis had four points apiece and Makayla Bailey and Emonni Barber had two points apiece.

A pair of sophomores led the Vikings (17-7), as Emily Bowbliss had 14 points and Emma Ring had 11 points.

Union Pines outscored Western 16-3 in the first quarter, 16-4 in the second and 16-6 in the third. But with a squad of mostly underclassmen on the floor in the fourth, Western outscored Union Pines 10-5 in the final quarter.

“I put some girls in,” Smith said. “Morgan McInnis got in today and really showed that, she’s a freshman, but she’s willing to put some work in.”

The loss ends Western Harnett’s season and the high school basketball careers of four seniors: Lahaina Bell, Javona Farrington, Kaile McLean and Taija Pruitt.

“My four seniors, of course, I feel kind of bad for them because I want them to play forever,” Smith said. “Really going to miss the four seniors.”

Smith felt like this year’s Western Harnett team laid the foundation for a solid future for the program.

“Western Harnett has been on the backburner for a while,” Smith said. “I feel like this team here made up their mind early, early in the season and even during the summer that they were going to do something. Thirteen wins? We hadn’t won 13 games since, it’s been 11 years. From 10 years to today, we were 15-140 and these girls won 13 on their own. I feel like these girls represent Western Harnett the best that they can and in a great way. It’s been a great season. It ended rough, but it’s nothing but up now. These girls are ready to play and ready to work.”

Union Pines and Harnett Central will meet at Lee County at 6 p.m. Thursday in a rematch of last year’s tournament final, which the Vikings won 50-35. Central and Union Pines split regular season contests as both teams went 9-1 in conference play this season, sharing the regular season crown. Thursday’s game will serve as a tiebreaker for the conference’s automatic bid into the NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs.

“Every loose ball is going to have to be ours,” Cabe said. “Every rebound is going to have to be ours. We’ve got to be attentive to everything. I think tonight, a couple of times, we were in la la land. Hundred-and-ten percent focus going in, knowing what type of game it’s going to be. Take care of the basketball. The small things.”