By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
WILSON — A depleted and banged-up Washington Lady Pam Pack team just couldn’t keep with up last year’s state runners-up.
Washington, with just seven players on its roster, fell 87-42 to the Beddingfield Bruins in Tuesday’s first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3A state basketball playoffs. The Lady Pack, a wild-card entry out of the Coastal Conference, finished its season with a 9-14 record.
Beddingfield (24-3), the top seed from the Eastern Carolina Conference who utilized a deep bench with 12 players, advanced to Thursday’s second round. The Bruins will face Hertford, a 38-37 winner over West Carteret.
The Lady Pack matched Beddingfield point for point early. Hayley Stowe scored the game’s opening points. Shaniqua Clay (14 points) tied it at the other end.
Jordan Cantrell, playing in the final high school game of her career, scored the next four points to give Washington an early 6-2 lead.
Two free throws by Harmony Simpkins gave Washington an 8-6 lead, and Cantrell knocked down another jumper for a 10-8 advantage halfway through the first period.
However, that’s when Casey Elliott took over for the Bruins. The sharpshooter rattled off three trifectas and scored 11 straight points for the Bruins, helping Beddingfield take a 19-12 lead.
Elliott scored 13 of her 20 points in the first quarter as the Bruins captured a 23-12 edge.
Washington was forced to play catch-up the rest of the evening.
Besides just fielding seven players, two weren’t exactly at full strength. Simpkins injured a knee late in the season and wore a knee brace, while freshman Rachel Cantrell will need foot surgery in the off-season.
The Bruins used a 15-2 run to begin the second quarter, going up 38-16 on a layup by Clay.
Washington came out a bit flat to start the second half and Beddingfield continued to pour it on. Ansia Dial, who led all scorers with 24 points, got inside for several easy baskets in the third as Beddingfield increased its lead to 66-30.
The lead ballooned to 50 (82-32) with three minutes to go on another triple from Elliott, before the Lady Pack made one last charge.
Simpkins paced Washington with 15 points while Jordan Cantrell added 14 in her Lady Pack swan song.
Shonnita McIver came off the bench to score five points. Rachel Cantrell buried a jumper for two points. Davey Ann Burbage hit a late bucket in her final basketball game at Washington while Stowe and Beth Batchelor also had two points.
Jones was happy her seniors — Jordan Cantrell and Burbage — got to experience one final basketball game.
With the core of players returning, Jones has high hopes for next season.
Washington 14 10 6 12 — 42
Beddingfield 23 26 17 21 — 87
WASHINGTON (42)
Harmony Simpkins 15, Jordan Cantrell 14, McIver 5, Burbage 2, R. Cantrell 2, Batchelor 2, Stowe 2.
BEDDINGFIELD (87)
Ansia Dial 24, Casey Elliott 20, Shaniqua Clay 14, Vielka Givens 11, Crawley 5, Lucas 4, Pittman 4, Dickens 4, DeLaRosa 1, Deratt, Kent, Thomas.