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GASTONIA — Its season flipped upside down following the recent finding of an ineligible player, the North Lincoln girls basketball team is straightening things the best way it knows how — on the court.
Entering the playoffs with three wins after forfeiting a bulk of its regular season tally, the 23rd-ranked Knights are bound for Round 3 of the NCHSAA 5A West playoffs following a 94-64 victory Thursday, Feb. 26 at No. 7 Hunter Huss.
RUN AND GUN: Here's how North Lincoln girls basketball plans to take next step in state playoffs
GIRLS HOOPS WATCH LIST: 29 Gastonia, Shelby basketball players to watch in NCHSAA playoffs
“These girls have worked so hard, and when they had everything kind of swept from under them, it just lit a whole new fire,” said North Lincoln girls basketball coach Kristen Karr. “Unfortunately the teams we meet now are running into a motivated basketball team.”
Runaway winners of Big South 5A/6A, Huss entered the postseason on a 10-game win streak. It was no match for a hot shooting North Lincoln team, the Knights hitting 11 3-pointers in the game. Lydia Cipriano played a significant role in her team’s barrage, burying four shots from beyond the arc in the first half.
“Everything starts for us on the defensive end, that’s what we focus on,” Karr said. “Good defense is going to turn into transition offense, and that plays right into the ‘run-and-gun’ style we like to play.”
Cipriano was one of four Knights to finish in double figures with 18 points. High Point women’s hoops commit Ally Smith led North Lincoln with 26 points. Reese Burch added 16 points, while Ashlyn Black contributed 14.
North Lincoln (5-21) moves on to face second-ranked West Rowan, which advanced via a 76-26 win over Crest.
SaRyah McCorkle was one of the few bright spots for Huss, finishing with 32 points and a double-digit rebound total. She earned a double-double in each of the Huskies’ 22 games this season.
Shemiah McCoy added 16 points for Huss, which finished the season 16-6.
After a pair of “white-knuckle” finishes earlier this season against South Point, the Huss boys made sure the playoff meeting against its nearby rival didn’t have similar drama.
Jaleel Smith had a game-high 27 points, Zaiyir Phillips added 18 points and Zach Anderson contributed 16 as the top-ranked Huskies ran away with their NCHSAA 5A West second round matchup against 16-seed South Point, 82-64.
Huss led by as many as 27 points in the second half, aided by a 12-0 run to start the third. However, coach Troy Phillips was most impressed with his team’s defensive effort, particularly not allowing Red Raider sharpshooters O.B. Lowery Jr. and Isaiah Worley to get in rhythm.
“We had an opportunity to break down the film, found some things we could exploit and it worked in our favor,” Phillips said. “We knew South Point goes as (Lowery and Worley) go. So it was our goal not to allow them to get comfortable.”
Hunter Huss (22-2) moves on to face No. 8 Oak Grove in Round 3. South Point finishes with a 12-13 record.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: North Lincoln girls basketball moves on in NCHSAA 5A West playoffs
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Entering the playoffs with three wins after forfeiting a bulk of its regular season tally, the 23rd-ranked Knights are bound for Round 3 of the NCHSAA 5A West playoffs following a 94-64 victory Thursday, Feb. 26 at No. 7 Hunter Huss.
RUN AND GUN: Here's how North Lincoln girls basketball plans to take next step in state playoffs
GIRLS HOOPS WATCH LIST: 29 Gastonia, Shelby basketball players to watch in NCHSAA playoffs
“These girls have worked so hard, and when they had everything kind of swept from under them, it just lit a whole new fire,” said North Lincoln girls basketball coach Kristen Karr. “Unfortunately the teams we meet now are running into a motivated basketball team.”
Runaway winners of Big South 5A/6A, Huss entered the postseason on a 10-game win streak. It was no match for a hot shooting North Lincoln team, the Knights hitting 11 3-pointers in the game. Lydia Cipriano played a significant role in her team’s barrage, burying four shots from beyond the arc in the first half.
“Everything starts for us on the defensive end, that’s what we focus on,” Karr said. “Good defense is going to turn into transition offense, and that plays right into the ‘run-and-gun’ style we like to play.”
Cipriano was one of four Knights to finish in double figures with 18 points. High Point women’s hoops commit Ally Smith led North Lincoln with 26 points. Reese Burch added 16 points, while Ashlyn Black contributed 14.
North Lincoln (5-21) moves on to face second-ranked West Rowan, which advanced via a 76-26 win over Crest.
SaRyah McCorkle was one of the few bright spots for Huss, finishing with 32 points and a double-digit rebound total. She earned a double-double in each of the Huskies’ 22 games this season.
Shemiah McCoy added 16 points for Huss, which finished the season 16-6.
Huss sweeps season series with South Point
After a pair of “white-knuckle” finishes earlier this season against South Point, the Huss boys made sure the playoff meeting against its nearby rival didn’t have similar drama.
Jaleel Smith had a game-high 27 points, Zaiyir Phillips added 18 points and Zach Anderson contributed 16 as the top-ranked Huskies ran away with their NCHSAA 5A West second round matchup against 16-seed South Point, 82-64.
Huss led by as many as 27 points in the second half, aided by a 12-0 run to start the third. However, coach Troy Phillips was most impressed with his team’s defensive effort, particularly not allowing Red Raider sharpshooters O.B. Lowery Jr. and Isaiah Worley to get in rhythm.
“We had an opportunity to break down the film, found some things we could exploit and it worked in our favor,” Phillips said. “We knew South Point goes as (Lowery and Worley) go. So it was our goal not to allow them to get comfortable.”
Hunter Huss (22-2) moves on to face No. 8 Oak Grove in Round 3. South Point finishes with a 12-13 record.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: North Lincoln girls basketball moves on in NCHSAA 5A West playoffs
Continue reading...
