By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Assistant Sports Editor
CHOCOWINITY -- All it took was 72 seconds to set the tone.
The Plymouth Vikings, seeded second in the Four Rivers Conference, raced out to a quick 6-0 lead before Southside coach Dwayne White called timeout at the 6:48 mark to try and settle down his troops. It didn't work. The Vikings (21-3) went on to outscore the No. 3 seed Seahawks (9-10) by a 32-12 margin in the first quarter, leading to an 84-48 victory in Thursday's semifinals.
The Vikings, ranked fourth in the latest N.C. Coaches/iHigh.com Class 1-A poll, benefited from a number of Southside turnovers for easy baskets in the opening quarter. Plymouth, getting 15 points from Damien Linson, connected on 14-of-23 from the field to just 5-of-12 for the stunned Seahawks.
Plymouth now gets another crack at top-seed Perquimans (21-3) in tonight's tournament championship game at Southside, which tips off at 7:30. Each team won by one point on the other's home floor.
Linson had another stellar night for the Vikings, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, eight steals and seven assists. He came out red-hot, burying three triples in the opening eight minutes. His third trifecta gave Plymouth the 32-12 cushion.
Plymouth cooled down somewhat in the second, but still took a 48-27 lead at the half. The Vikings went on to hit 33-of-66 from the floor (50 percent) to just 18-of-63 (28.6 percent) for Southside.
Brandon Carter (18 points, 14 rebounds) started the third by drilling a triple, igniting a 20-0 Plymouth run to make it 68-27. Joshua Armand (22 points, 12 rebounds) scored eight points in the run, as the Vikings opened by hitting eight of its first nine shots.
Both teams emptied their benches in the fourth.
Travis Midgette paced the Seahawks with 11 points. Redel Williams had nine points and 10 boards, Jansen Simmons six points and 12 caroms and Devale Whitney seven points and seven boards.
Travis Fuller had six points and six boards for Plymouth, while Brandon Biggs had nine boards and three points.
The Seahawks look to regroup, as they host Cape Hatteras to open NCHSAA Class 1-A playoff action on Monday night.
Four Rivers Conference
Tournament semifinals
SOUTHSIDE (48)
Travis Midgette 11, Williams 9, Whitney 7, J. Simmons 6, Farrow 4, T. Simmons 3, Reddick 3, Crawford 2, Adams 2, Blount 1, Hooker, Benston, Mills, Key, O'Neal.
PLYMOUTH (84)
Joshua Armand 22, Damien Linson 20, Brandon Carter 18, Fuller 6, White 5, Bryant 4, B. Biggs 3, Jackson 2, Spruill 2, Jordan 2, Craig, Cherry, B. Biggs, Wilkins.
Southside 12 15 7 14 -- 48
Plymouth 32 16 22 14 -- 84