Championship Saturday

The Big East will play for the state 3-A basketball title for the third straight time the game has been in Chapel Hill. The Big East rep Hunt will take on the top team from the Northwestern 3-A/2-A league Freedom High from Morganton.

The Patriots are 30-1 with their single loss on the year was at Burns a conference member with and over all 7-16 record.  Since that loss Freedom has fashioned 13 straight wins to reach Chapel Hill.  Hunt 25-3 has losses in November to Middle Creek, Kinston and at Chrismas to Fike.  Hunt has not lost in 2014 winning 19 in a row.

Freedom is lead by Jeron  Hemphill who at six feet five scores 15.1 per game but he is also their top rebounder getting 8.4 every time out.  Freedom has three other scorers hitting more than ten.  Gave Logan 14' Chris Bridges 11.3, Khris Gardin 11.1.

Hunt's big gun is Quan Kent  the six foot point guard at 13.4.  The Warriors other go to scorers are Kennan  Tabron 12.2, Justin Jefferson 12.1, and Josh Willingham 11.3 and 9.4  rebounds.

This is the 3rd trip for Freedom to the Big Dance while Hunt has never been to the final game in basketball.  If you recall in both of Rocky Mount's two trips to Chapel Hill the Gryphons were the bigger team as both Concord and Hickory had one player at about 6ft 5 and  the rest were shooting guards.  Hunt and Freedom are about the same in height under the basket but Hunt will be overall bigger in back court as Jefferson is 6:3 while Khris Gardin is only 5:8.

All of us that have seen Hunt play know that Hunt is quick in the back court.  Having never seen Freedom play before I can't tell you how good they are.  I can only tell you they play in a 3-A/2-A split league so some of their conference wins  are not quality wins.  Hunt has beat 2-A power Kinston and beat Rocky Mount three times.  They have quality wins.  I think Hunt keeps Big East the beast in Chapel Hill.

I need to have a secondary headline tonight.  Jim Beiheim Welcome to Greensboro!  If you remember   When asked about joining the ACC and having to play the ACC tournament in Greensboro over Madison Square Garden in New York City The Syracuse coach said what can you do in Greensboro.   I think one of the things Syracuse can' t do in Greensboro is win a game. Pack 66- Cuse 63.  Welcome to Mayberry.