By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
YEATESVILLE — For the first time in over a year, the Northside girls basketball team recorded a win, and this time they got it on the first try.
The Panthers came out in front of their home fans and blew by the Mattamuskeet Lakers in the first round of the PCS/Northside Tip-Off Tournament 46-29 on Tuesday.
Northside will take on rival Southside, which beat Pamlico 53-42, in the championship game Thursday.
Panthers’ coach Michelle Leathers said she was happy and relieved to get a win on Tuesday.
Northside came out on fire in the first quarter and jumped out to a 22-4 run on the Lakers. Forwards Rebekah Bonney an Rachelle Davis led the charge scoring six first-quarter points each, while Antwanesia Whichard added four.
Whichard finished as the game’s leading scorer with 12 points, while Bonney added 11 and Davis chipped in 9.
Leathers said the fast start was critical.
Te’ Cox paced the Lakers with nine, and scoring seven of those points in the third quarter.
Mattamuskeet coach Linda Johnson said that she a saw a lot of area’s her team needs to improve on, and hopes the Lakers can right their ship by their next game.
Seahawks storm the Hurricanes
A smothering defense and a newfound fondness for sharing the ball carried Southside to a convincing 53-42 win over Pamlico in the first game of the PCS/Northside Tip-Off Tournament.
Led by Katisha Hyman’s six first quarter points, the Seahawks pounced on the Hurricanes early and closed out the first quarter with a 15-4 lead.
Hyman finished with a team-high 12 points, while Southside was able to get scoring from 10 different players.
Southside cooled off in the second quarter, but still managed to head into halftime with a 21-11 lead.
The Hurricanes’ duo of point guard Shonda Bell and forward Kaylah Blount kept them in the game. In the third quarter Blount scored eight of her game-high 18 points to help rally Pamlico and cut the Seahawks’ deficit to 39-36, but that would be as close as it got.
Southside’s Valerie Ruffin scored six straight points to expand Southside lead, then it defense clamped down on the Hurricanes.
Lake also said he was happy to see the way his team passed the ball around.
Pamlico could never recover from its slow start, but coach Missy Blazinni said her team was able to finish strong.
The Hurricanes will battle the Lakers at 6 p.m. on Thursday for third place in the tournament, while Southside will clash with Northside shortly after.
Game 1
Pamlico 4 7 17 14 42
Southside 15 6 14 18 — 53
Hurricanes (42)
Bell 8, Kaylah Blount 18, Roberts 2, Lee 5, Word 2, Midgette 5, Ellenburg 2/
Seahawks (53)
Katisha Hyman 12, Harding 2, Credle 6, Haywood 1, Whitley 10. Bogart 3, Painter 1, Ruffin 8, Dudley 6, Turner 4.
Game 2
Mattamuskeet 4 7 9 9 29
Northside 22 12 4 8 — 46
Lakers (29)
Cox 9, Russ 4, Clark 3, Stanford 3, Strubbing 4, Burres 1, Whitfield 4.
Panthers (46)
Davis 8, Rebekah Hollowell 11, Antwanesia Whichard 12, Paniagua 4, Gaynor 4, Brewer 2, Leathers 2, Freeman 3.