Defense Does It Again

Tonight the top seeded Rocky Mount girls took to the court for the first time during the Big East Tournament.  The strength of this team is it's defense.  Hunt the fourth seed has played the Gryphons twice.  Their first meeting at Hunt was tied 41 all heading into the fourth quarter but the Lady Gryphons held the Lady Warriors to seven points in the fourth quarter while scoring 26 themselves. The game in Rocky Mount Hunt never scored in double digits in any quarter and could muster but 28 points while Rocky Mount scored 48.

So if Hunt can win tonight they either score more or hold down the Gryphons.  Which one what will it be?  Rocky Mount hits double digits in every quarter while the Gryphons defense held Hunt to single digits through the first three quarter. Hunt got 11 in the fourth but 34 points is not nearly enough as the Gryphons post 52! Rocky Mount High sends both teams to The Big East finals Friday night.

So if you are Rocky Mount who would you rather play?  Two games against Fike the Gryphons won by 27 and 41.  During the Nash County Chrismas Tournament Nash Central beat Rocky Mount 40-36.  The two conference games the Gryphons won by 15 and 9.  It doesn't matter who they want they are getting Nash Central who knocks off Fike 43-39.  Friday night is and all Nash County finals and it's all Nash Central and Rocky Mount in both games starting at 6pm.

Friday night in the championship game of the boys Big East finals Rocky Mount the number four seed will meet Nash Central the number two seed.  I was interested to see coach Henry Drakes comments after the game in the Rocky Mount Telegram concerning a major problem that has reared it's ugly head for the Knights, injuries.

Coaches make decisions all the time based on information they know about their team and are very good at hiding weaknesses from other teams.  Injuries are hard to hide.  We might see a player playing and wonder why he doesn't seem to have the normal fire only to find out weeks later he was injured.

Coach Drake's comments tell us about how he views the world of high school basketball.  He has two players injured and one did not play at all against Rocky Mount.  His reasoning I rather win the state championship with a healthy team if possible than win the Big East tournament and then  limp into the playoffs.  It hardly ever happens any player hampered with any injury gets  better until they rest the injury.

Reading between the lines I think and from what I have seen this year he is right, with a healthy team he has a shot to win the state championship.  There is no guarantee that rest will heal the injuries in time but what is already secured  the Knights will get two home games next week if they win the first and depending on out come from other games may get more from what their record to date has secured 22-3.  The only team in the east bracket with a better record is Eastern Guilford 23-2 and they will be in a different sectional than Northern Nash

Rocky Mount struggling to get enough wins to qualify to get into the tournament are the beneficiaries  of Drake's gamble to be able to beat Rocky Mount resting injured players. Drake also knew that resting your best player could lead to defeat since both games against Rocky Mount seven points were the total difference in both. The Gryphons basketball team is looking for wins due to the five playoff games in football.  Interesting that two of the three leading scorers in the Northern Nash game were football players.

I like what coach Drake did.  To me the big picture will be how you did starting next week not how many Big East tournament trophies you have in the trophy case.  I know there are people upset that he took a loss to the Knights arch rival but you have to remember.  They almost won anyway.  This way they will be healthier next week