20-0

Tonight not one more person could have seen the game but just about everybody in Nash County tried and what they saw was an all out battle for the Big East Girls Championship and the only thing missing was the shoulder pads  and a helmet because there were no prisoners taken.

Rocky Mount shot out to a 31-14 halftime lead scored the first bucket of the third quarter to lead 33-14 and Northern's defense became a vacuum cleaner and completely throttled the Lady Gryphons.  Rocky Mount had 20 turnovers in the second half and this gave Northern a chance as they tied the game at 43 midway of the fourth quarter.  J'Kryra Brown scored 5 of the last seven Gryphon points and Rocky Mount captures the Big East Championship in Northern's backyard 50-43.

When Northern Beat Rocky Mount in the Christmas Tournament they were able to dominate the Lady Gryphons up front and would not allow them near the basket.  The two meetings since then Rocky Mount has clearly been the quicker team and the improved inside play of Amani Kipp.  Kipp scored but two points but pulled down 9 boards and there is no telling  how many altered Lady Knight shots.  Most of the Northern come back occurred while Kipp was on the bench with three fouls.

Once again tonight Northern failed to make any outside shots as they hit only one three.  Rocky Mount tonight varied their defense from pressure to zone and it surely worked in the first half but Northern's defense got them back in the game in the second half..

J'Kyra Brown scores 25 and hauls down 12 rebounds.  Tia Hudgins scored 9 and Alexus Cooper 8 for Rocky Mount.   Jasmine Griffin scored 10 but four other Lady Knights had at least 8.  Alexus Hill 9 and Jessica Lyons, Quanneshia Lynch and Khadijrah Richardson  were with 8.

This is only the second loss of the season for Northern and it comes against their arch rival both times.  Rocky Mount finishes the regular season 20-2.

Unlike last time everybody stayed for the boys game as you could not see any available space when the boys tipped off.  Seemed as if the game was prime time.  The girls jv game went past five thirty  to complete and the boys jv game went into overtime and did not finished until 7.20. Once the girls game ended  it was senior night at Northern and by the time of the tip off everyone was looking for ESPN as the game managed a 9pm start.

Northern stayed close for a quarter but by the half Rocky Mount had built an 18 point lead and most of the Northern Crowd went home and the Rocky Mount folks glowed in the moment of both teams going undefeated during the conference regular season. Mike Gainey and I were talking and he thinks that has never been done in Rocky Mount history.

Levon Brutus would like to play Northern every game as he followed his 31 against the Knights at Rocky Mount with 26.  He is the only Gryphon to hit double figures but 12 different  Gryphons scored .  Lorenzo Wilkins lead Northern with 16.

Like football Northern went all the way to the last  conference game of the year to win their first but tonight Northern is denied a conference victory as Rocky Mount goes unbeaten in conference play  and 19-3 overall with a 77-54 win over Northern Nash. 

Northern boys play Monday in the opening round of Big East Basketball Tournament at Northern while the Rocky Mount boys are off until Wednesday.  Despite beating Northern Girls they may have to do it again next Friday night in the tournament finals if both teams get by their semi final games on Thursday.

Sometimes There Is Profit in Mayhem For Duke

I really thought Carolina would win the battle of the blues between 10 to 15 points so with two minutes left the score 80-69 it was about what I figured it would be.  Mike Gainey has been preaching to the Rocky Mount Gryphons that once you get a lead keep your foot on the floor board.  The last time Rocky Mount lost they lead by double digits and put it on cruise control and loss all momentum.  The same thing happened to Carolina last night.

Wednesday night a very odd two minutes of circumstances leads North Carolina to lose at home to Duke.  Down two with ten seconds to play I don't think that there was anyone watching on TV or at the game thought anybody other than Austin Rivers was going to take that  last shot.  Why not double team him because everyone knows he not going to pass it to anybody else.  Maybe force a bad pass.  The very least a drive to the basket he might draws a foul and has to make two shots to get to overtime.  Even a two point shot you still have overtime.

Tyler Zeller played eight seconds of great defense and he made on major mistake.  He started thinking.  He had Rivers covered up and with three seconds to go Rivers is trapped by Zeller's size, can't shoot over it and he is big enough he could hardly drive around him.  Zeller thought suppose he drives around me and he backed up just a step.  That one step opened up River's selfish play to become a national hero.   The wide open goal that now Rivers can see for the first time since Zeller started guarding him.  There was time for a heave and a legend is born.

Why any team allows a three when you are ahead by two makes no sense to me.  All the mayhem that happened to Carolina the last two minutes got even worse with less than a second to play.  This game had been really good all along but the last two minutes boost this game in to the legendary status.

Tonight the Lady Gryphons and The Lady Knights Of Northern Nash collide for first place.  The last time they played in Rocky Mount it got very chippy and they were only playing for the league lead.  Tonight they play for the bag of marbles.  Be there early.

Mike Gainey can surely use last night's Carolina-Duke game as why you never need to be on cruise control.  Keep the pedal to the metal.  If some mamas and papas upset when you score a 100 on their sons  so be it.

Rocky Mount and Nash Central have byes in Monday night's Big East Tournament.  They play in the semi finals on Wednesday.  Both Northern and Rocky Mount girls have byes to Thursday