High school basketball playoff pairings set, Overhills boys get bye

by Al Myatt | Feb 17, 2018 | News & Features

Shiquan Cox and the Triton Hawks visit Terry Sanford on Tuesday night. Cox is shown against Southern Lee on Tuesday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Maggie Hobson)

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released brackets for its boys and girls basketball tournaments on Saturday.

The Overhills boys (20-6) received the No. 7 seeding and a bye in the Eastern 4-A boys bracket. In the second round, the Jaguars will host the winner between No. 10 Knightdale (17-7) and No. 23 Pine Forest (13-12).

Overhills coach Tony Lewis was hopeful his team would receive a bye. Following a 67-63 loss to E.E. Smith in the conference tournament semfinals, Lewis felt his team needed some rest.

Junior guard Zavian McLean leads Overhills with a 23.4 scoring average. McLean is also contributing 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Senior Latrell Lloyd is providing 10.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. Freshman Cinque Lemon has stepped up lately to boost his scoring average to 6.3. Jeremyah McWilliams, a 6-feet, 6-inch junior, is scoring at a 5.2 rate and is pulling down a team-high 6.0 rebounds each outing.

Triton boys at Terry Sanford

Triton was seeded No. 25 in the Eastern 3-A boys bracket and will play at No. 8 Terry Sanford ((20-5) in the first round on Tuesday night at 7:30.

The Hawks haven’t faced the Bulldogs since absorbing a 74-28 loss at Terry Sanford on Jan. 5, 2016 when the Bulldogs, then coached by Bill Boyette, went 30-2 and won the Eastern 3-A championship. Triton has Shiquan Cox and Chrishaun Henry from that team. Cox averaged 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 rebounds as a sophomore. Henry scored 9.0 points and rebounded at a 6.7 rate as a freshman.

Current Hawk seniors Maurice Williams and Christion Green had limited roles in 2015-16.

Cox is averaging 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds as a senior. Henry has a 13.1 scoring average and is the team leader in rebounds at 8.6. Williams is scoring 12.5 points per game and Green has a 6.0 scoring average. Sophomore Travion Sanders has a 5.4 scoring average for the Hawks. Kalil Hodges is averaging 5.7 assists.

Darren Corbett guided Terry Sanford to a share of the Patriot Athletic 4-A/3-A Conference regular-season championship and the Bulldogs topped E.E. Smith 70-55 in the league tournament final.

Holt Walker, a 6-6 senior, leads Terry Sanford in points (12.0) and rebounds (6.3).

Triton needs a better start than the one that produced a 20-3 deficit at the outset of a 66-43 loss at Southern Lee in the Tri-County Six 3-A Conference tournament semifinals on Tuesday night.

The Hawks are 6-5 in road games this season.

Central facing league foe

Harnett Central’s boys (14-10), seeded 26th in the East, will visit Tri-County Six 3-A opponent Southern Lee (22-3), the No. 7 seed, on Tuesday night in the opening round.

The Trojans lost 55-48 to the Cavaliers at home on Jan. 9 despite a balanced scoring attack that included 15 points from Jalaan Signal, 12 from Kaizer Ray, eight from Chase Mullins and seven from Montrey McAllister. Mullins had 10 rebounds and Ray controlled seven. McAllister had five assists.

Southern Lee turned back Central 74-52 at home on Feb. 2. Mullins and Adonye Fubara each had 12 points for the Trojans. Kasey Perkins scored 11. Mullins had six rebounds and Fubara had five.

Central will be playing its third game in the Cavaliers’ gym, having lost 66-49 there to Lee County in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Tuesday. Ray led the Trojans that night with 15 points. Adam Jackson added 11, Kasey Perkins scored nine and Signal tallied eight. The Yellow Jackets lost 59-40 to the Cavaliers in the league tournament final on Thursday night at Campbell.

Signal leads Central with a 10.1 scoring average but the Trojans have offensive depth that includes Perkins (8.5 points per game), Mullins (8.6), Ray (7.7), Jackson (6.9), Fubara (5.8) and McAllister (5.8).

Mullins is the rebounding leader at 7.8 and Ray is at 5.4.

Banks leads Central girls

Harnett Central’s girls (20-4) got a home game as the No. 15 seed and will host No. 18 West Brunswick (16-10) in the first round.

Maliah Banks paces Central with a 15.7 scoring average, 4.6 assists and 4.7 steals.

Peace signee Michaela Cabe is averaging 9.6 points.

Freshman post player Syniah McMiller went out in the second quarter of a 50-35 loss to Union Pines in the Tri-County Six championship at CU on Thursday night and her status is questionable going into the playoffs. McMiller is averaging 6.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.

The Lady Trojans, who are 9-1 at home, have frontcourt depth that includes Jordyn Johnson McLean, who is averaging 5.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. Marcayla Jones is contributing 4.8 points and 6.8 boards per game. Lyndsey Brewer is averaging 4.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Bell offensive force for Western

Western Harnett (7-16) returns to the girls playoffs after an extended absence as the No. 32 seed in the East and will travel to play Jacksonville (18-3), the No. 1 seed, in the opening round.

Lahaina “LaLa” Bell is averaging 21.4 of Western’s 35.7 points per game. She is also controlling 8.2 rebounds per game.

Lady Raiders meet familiar opponent

Midway’s girls (22-2) are the No. 12 seed in the Eastern 2-A girls bracket and will host No. 21 North Johnston (18-6) in the first round.

The Lady Raiders had a pair of nonconference wins on the court over the Lady Panthers last season, 51-40 on the road and 59-52 at home. Midway subsequently had to forfeit the win at North Johnston due to an ineligible player.

Seniors Leah Williams and J.J. Sankey have led Midway. Williams is scoring 20.7 points per game with 4.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.1 steals. Sankey is averaging 14.2 points and 4.6 steals.

Junior Alyssa Wrench is scoring 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Lady Raiders.

Williams fouled out before the conclusion of a 53-51 loss to Goldsboro in the East Central 2-A Conference semifinals at East Duplin on Thursday. The Lady Raiders have since focused on resting and regrouping in preparation for the postseason.

Midway hosts North Johnston on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.