Second Time Around

The backside of the Big East basketball schedule starts tonight and there is no bigger game than the girls game with Rocky Mount traveling to Nash Central.  Rocky Mount is the only team that made it through the first round unscathed.  Nash Central's only loss was at Rocky Mount 61-52.  They also met in the Christmas Tournament with Rocky Mount winning that one too 40-36.

The Lady Bulldogs have a fine season going and all of this is without the Big East player of the year last year Robbi Allen out with injury.  This is a chance for Rocky Mount to pull away from the field if they can find a win on the Bulldogs home court as that would give everyone in the conference two losses except Rocky Mount so this is a big one for every member of the conference to stay in the title race.

Rocky Mount 12-2 5-0 @ Nash Central 9-6 4-1:  Rocky Mount is led by Senior Keyanna Spivey averaging 22 points and 9.6 rebounds.  The Gryphons are averaging 57 per contest while yielding just 35.  Central counters with Michaela Nelms 19.4 and 8.8 rebounds.  The team that stops the star and everyone else pulls their weight will help decide this one.

Fike 3-2 13-5 @ Southern Nash 3-13 0-5:  Fike needs to stay near the top while Southern is still trying to break a conference losing streak.  Fike is led by Jada Lee 13.4 and Aniya Thigpen 12.8.  Mason Blake has been the top rebounder at 7.3.  Southern Nash counters with Jessy Lucas 9.6 while Ja lisa Williams has cleaned the boards at 8.8.  The big difference in this game is Fike scores 57 on average while the Lady Birds only 22.

Northern Nash 6-12 1-4 @ Hunt 14-3  2-3:  There is a truth in high school sports that you will run into lean years because certain years the talent is just not there.  Northern after having dominated the conference in the early part of this century is on the lean side right now.  Hunt started off with a bang and have been beaten by the top two teams rather decisively in the last two.  I wonder if an injury has occurred that I have not heard about.  Northern is  scoring at 33 points per game while Hunt get 51 per outing. Both give up about the same 39 for Northern 41 for the Warriors.  The winner will be in the middle of the pack.

The boys ledger doesn't feature two top teams.  All games are top division against the bottom.  Since Northern is the lone unbeaten the facts are as long as they keep winning no one will catch them

Northern Nash 17-2  5-0 @ Hunt 4-14 1-4:  Northern scores at 72 points a game the top team in the league.  They give up 58.  Hunt scores at 55 but gives up 60.  I  have been covering Hunt since the early 80's when they played Ahoskie.  I can never recall a football season and basketball season to be this lean at Hunt.  This is uncharted territory for them.  Northern is led by Darius Spragley 16.9 per contest while Raymond Bullock rebounds at 7.5.  Hunt is led by Jermiah Ganaway 10.5 and River Jones 10.

Rocky Mount   6-7 2-3 @ Nash Central 12-4 4-1:  This late  in the season Rocky Mount will never be able to complete their schedule of the games missed during football.  Nobody wants to play a non conference game this late in the middle of conference.  The Bulldogs need to keep winning to stay close to Northern.  The Gryphons are led by Joe Blue 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds.  Nash Central counters with Montre'  Cash 20.7 points and Dominick Dixon 9.3 rebounds.  The Gryphons score 64  while the Bulldogs get 63.  On the other end of the court the Gryphons allow 63 while the Dogs counter with 56.

Fike 13-5 3-2@ Southern Nash 5-14 0-5:  Fike wants to stay upper division while the Firebirds need a win as their losing streak has now reached 9.  Samson Strickland is a one man show for the Golden Demons 19 points 11.6 rebounds.  Southern's leader is Darius Edmonson 10.9 while Matt Hampton grabs 5.9 boards per game.  Fike puts 64 points through the hoop per game while the Firebirds get 54.  On the defensive side Fike holds their foes to 59 while Southern 62.