Finals Are All Set

Wednesday night's final game of the night of the Nash County Christmas Tournament  pitted two arch rivals so far this season both have gone in opposite directions.  Nash Central has started this young season 5-1 while Northern Nash has won only once in seven tries.  Would sound like not much of a game right?

Well it wasn't, Northern forged out to a 30-20 lead at the half and for Nash Central fans hoping for a comeback it just never happened as Northern Nash doubles their win total on the season with a resounding 66-47 victory over Nash Central.  This sets up a double header of Northern Nash/ Rocky Mount basketball right after the championship game in the JV tournament Thursday night.

The main gym at Rocky Mount will have a triple header finals as the JV boys championship game will occur starting at 5pm then the girls championship game will kick into action around 6:30.  Unbeaten Northern Nash 8-0 will play on the home court of Rocky Mount 5-3. 

Northern will throw at Rocky Mount a full court press most of the time and ball handling has been suspect for the Lady Gryphons and this will be a monumental task.  Many times in the past few years this is the first meeting of maybe at least four meetings and yes there has been one year recently when they met five times in a season.  Once in Christmas tournament twice during the regular season and in the finals of the conference and sectional finals.

 Time flies  when you are having fun but remember three  years ago they met three straight Friday nights.  The last Friday during conference play.  The next Friday in the Tournament Championship and the following Friday in the sectional Finals.  To say the least Pam Gainey and Grover Battle should know a little something about the way each other teaches basketball.

Rocky Mount boys have dominated Northern in recent years but Henry Drake will get his first taste of doing battle against two time state champion basketball coach Mike Gainey in the night cap around 8pm.

Thrown in obscurity is the boys consolation game which will be played in the Auxiliary Gym down the hall from the main gym  Southern Nash the seven point loser to the home team Rocky Mount on Tuesday will take on Nash Central.  Those wishing to sit in a seat in that game will need to be there early as there are not all that many seats in the AUX gym.

The girls varsity consolation game was won by Nash Central as they rolled Southern Nash 66-27.  The two losses in the tournament the Southern girls scored but 39 points while giving up 124.  The Nash county Christmas Tournament concludes Thursday at Rocky Mount High school.