Big East Upset

Every sport that has a bye there is always the question is it good to have extra time to rest or are you better off playing getting into some momentum?  Tonight in Wilson Rocky Mount Girls 13-8 the fourth seed in the Big East coming off a very explosive offensive night last night against Hunt continue as hot tonight jumping out to a double digit lead before the top girls Nash Central 20-3 knew what hit them.

Down 23-9 at the end of one the Lady Bulldogs play a much better second quarter but still found themselves down 38-26 at the half. They got closer in the third trimming the Lady Gryphon lead to 47-39.  This season when Rocky Mount scores they have been hard to beat.  Those games when they have lost  they struggled on offense.  Not tonight as Rocky Mount will play for the Big East girls tournament title Friday night at 6pm after a 66-54 win over the top seed Nash Central.

The second game of the night the host team Fike taking on the number two team in the Big East Northern Nash.  Fike at home jumped to a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.  If there is one thing you need to be prepared for any time you play a Grover Battle  team is you have to be up for the pounding that Northern applies when they play.  If you are not a physical team the constant forcing the ball inside when Northern on offense and when you have it they try to keep you away from the basket.

The second quarter Northern  was beginning to show their physicality and it wore on Fike.  Northern lead surged to a 24-18 half lead and then a third quarter blitz out scoring Fike 22-9 to lead at the end of three by 46-27.  Now in control all Northern had to do is run the clock out as they scored 11 to Fike's 10 to win 57-37.

What's new in Big  East girls basketball?  Northern and Rocky Mount play for the Tournament title Firday night at 6pm.  Already this season they have met three times with Northern winning both conference games and the Lady Gryphons winning in the Christmas Tournament.

Tonight NC Wesleyan traveled to Danville Virginia to meet Averett who lost in Rocky Mount in overtime to the Bishops with only one thing on their mind.  A victory and they would win the regular season USA South and would the host the conference tournament starting Thursday February 25th-27th.

The winner gets the automatic conference bid to the NCAA D III tournament.  The Battling  Bishops with a mission to win jumped all over Averett from the get go and their biggest lead in the first half was 27-13.  They led 46-38 at the half. The lead swelled to 55-40 just under 16 minutes to go and for the next 15 minutes the lead bobbled between 11-14 points.

Adrian Moore from Plymouth was solid all night long hitting threes and driving to the basket.  He scored 25 and fouled out with 1:15 to play with the Bishops ahead 81-70.  Then it started Averett  made three threes from the grand stands.  A couple of missed free throws and with 2.8 seconds to go is 83-82 Bishops.  D J Weaver sinks two freebies and a mid court shot hits the rim and The Battling Bishops win the USA South Regular season winning at Averett 85-82.

DJ Weaver hits for 21 points, Brandon Brown 12, Devontae Williams 10 and giving vital minutes off the bench Isaiah Alston gets 9.  The Bishops finish up their regular season Saturday at Methodist. Regardless of the outcome the Bishops will host the USASouth tournament on Feb 25th starting at 1pm when  the 3/6 seeds will open the tournament.

There is no doubt it is hard winning any tournament on somebody else's court so the Bishops have the inside track having the tournament on their home court.