Second Round Tonight

More than half the field that started the playoffs Tuesday night from this area are still alive.  Not many teams with losing records left and certainly the competition level increases with every victory.  Let's take a look at our local survivors that are playing tonight.

Northwood Girls 22-6@ Rocky Mount 20-3 6pm:  Lady Gryphons win their 20th game with their victory over Westover. Northwood finished second in the Big Eight with a10-2 conference record trailing Orange 11-1.  They average 50.4 points per game while on defense they hold down their foes to 39.75.  The Gryphons score at a 57 per game pace while yielding only 33.

Northwood has a trio of scorers that the Lady Gryphons will have to contend with.  Kadie  Snipes averages 16.6 and is joined by Chandler Adams 15.2 and Kristian Eaves 15.1.  These three players score 47 points a game while Rocky Mount only gives up 33 so something has to give.  Keyanna Spivey 19 points 9 rebounds will be a load for Northwood to worry about.

Northwood beat JF Webb in the opening round 45-42 while the Gryphons swarmed Westover 70-9.  The winner of this game will meet the winner of the Union Pines/ Nash Central meeting.  If the Gryphons win they would travel to Union Pines Saturday and if Nash Central wins to come to Rocky Mount.  Northwood wins they would travel to either winner of the Union Pines/ Nash Central game.

Fike 18-8 @ Northern Nash 23-3 7pm:  Regardless of what sport it is it seems the Big East also winds up playing another Big East team somewhere in the playoffs.  I guess that means we win a lot of playoff games and as the teams fall by the wayside we are beating the other leagues and that leaves Big East teams only to play.  These two teams played twice during the season Northern winning both 89-74 at Fike and 84-65 at Northern.

Fike averages 66 per game while Northern  scores at a 71 points a game pace.  Fike is led by Samson Strickland scores 19 a game and yanks down 10.7 rebounds per contest.  He gets  help from Tyshaud Lucas 10 points and Ricky Fuller11.6 points per game.  Northern is led by Darius Spragley 17.9 points and Undray Cherry 13.6.  Raymond Bullock controls the boards at 8.2 per game.

The winner of this game is set to meet the winner of 8 seed Eastern Wayne 12-14 at home to Terry Sanford 15-11.  If Northern wins they are home to either Saturday night.  If Fike wins they go to either. 

The big question in this game is the health of the Knights as it seems in the last couple of weeks that they have had the injury bug to hit them.  They controlled both games against the Golden Demons during the season.  Are the Knight's injuries enough to give Fike an opportunity?

Nash Central 17-8 @ Union Pines 24-3:  This is a tough match up for the Lady Bulldogs.  Union Pines averages  52 points per ball game while the Lady Dogs 49.  Leading point producer for UP is Byona Shields at 16.1 and her main helper Hadiya Baiser 11.7 and rebounds at 7.9.

Nash Central will respond with Michaela Nelms 18.4. She also grabs 8.1 rebounds.  Two others get double digits points in Myia Spivey 10.8 and Kayalia Mitchell 10.2

The winner of this game meets Rocky Mount/Northwood winner.  If Union Pines wins they host either.  If Nash Central wins they would go to Rocky Mount or visit Northwood.

Other games:

River Mill Academy 19-7 @ Rocky Mount Prep 21-5

Girls  :
SouthWest Edgecombe 19-4 hosting North Johnston17-9