By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
CHOCOWINITY — Whitney Stokes scored Plymouth’s first nine points against Southside and, from that point on, the Vikings sailed over the Seahawks 62-42 in the second round of the Atlantic Conference tournament on Wednesday.
For the No. 1 seeded Vikings (15-2), the win propels them into the Atlantic Conference championship game where they will await the winner of today’s Roanoke/Williamston match up.
Stokes didn’t just step up to the challenge of postseason play, she strapped on stilts and walked right over it.
The senior swingman drained mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper en route to a game-high 39 points, or three less than the entire Seahawks’ squad.
Stokes scored nine points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and third quarters and tallied six in the final quarter of action to bring her total to 39.
The Plymouth offense wasn’t all Stokes as point guard Sakina Brown added 16 points.
Thanks to Quiesha Miller and her team-high 19 points, the Seahawks put up a fight early and ended the first quarter down only 16-10.
However, the Vikings blew the game apart in the middle quarters, out-scoring Southside 36-17.
Lake said he was proud of the effort his fifth-seeded Seahawks (7-15) team gave on Wednesday.
Hooker credited the Seahawks for their rebounding effort.
The effort may have been there, but Southside had no answer for the Plymouth press.
Each time Plymouth was able to pick up a bucket, the Vikings set up their press, which harassed Southside’s ball-handlers into several turnovers that turned into Stokes’ points.
The Vikings hope their press will be as effective on Friday when it plays in the Atlantic Conference championship game. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Atlantic Conference tournament
Southside 10 12 5 15 — 42
Plymouth 16 18 18 10 — 62
Southside (42)
Baker 6, Quiesha Miller 19, Bragg 4, Keech 1, Credle 7, Jones 2.
Plymouth (62)
Whitney Stokes 39, Sakina Brown 12, Norman 3, Sutton 2, Jones 2, James 2.