By By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — Consider the ghost of regional past exorcised.
The senior members of the Williamston Tigers can finally push aside the memory of falling one quarter short of a trip to the state championship in 2007 against Pender, and replace it with their thrilling 62-55 victory over South Robeson and a trip to the Dean E. Smith Center next weekend where they will battle Bishop McGuiness for state glory.
Saturday’s NCHSAA 1-A East Regional clash with the Mustangs ironically played out much like Williamston’s 2007 appearance, as the Tigers took a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter only to see it evaporate. However, there would be no let down this time around as Katie Paschal scored the final five points of the game to keep South Robeson at bay and the Tigers dreams of a state championship alive.
The win upped Williamston’s winning streak to 29, making its record a perfect 29-0 on the year. The Mustangs, who had amassed a 16-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s game, finished the season with a 25-5 record and a Three Rivers Conference title to go along with its sectional championship.
Paschal was electric on Saturday. Playing in front of her future coach at East Carolina, Sharon Baldwin-Tenor, the senior made the Pirates’ fans in attendance at J.H. Rose High School smile as she racked up a game-high 40 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had two steals en route to being named the East Regional Tournament MVP.
“I’m so excited. I’m just really happy,” Paschal beamed. “We always thought we could make it, but now we have actually done it. I’m thrilled.”
Powered by an explosive offense that was fed by a suffocating halfcourt trap, Williamston played some of its best basketball of the season in the second and third quarters to bank a 51-32 lead heading into the final stanza. However, the Mustangs were not ready to call it quits and charged back into the game with a late rally.
South Robeson ripped off a 19-4 run to cut Williamston’s lead to 55-51 after a Shaquiela Robinson bucket with 1:45 left to play. Williamston coach Hughes Barber desperately tried to settle down his team, but the wheels appeared to be falling off a bus that by the end of the third quarter seemed all but destined for Chapel Hill.
“All I could think about was Pender,” Paschal said. “That’s all that was going through my head because the exact same thing happened two years ago, but this time we were more experienced and pulled through.”
After a taxing up-and-down four quarters of basketball, Barber said he was just happy to have one more game left on the schedule.
“We played two great quarters of basketball and two very mediocre quarters of basketball,” Barber said. “But it was good enough for a win so we will take it. An ugly win is better than a good looking loss.”
Sophomore point guard Zakkeya Morris helped the Tigers stop the bleeding with a pair of free throws, and Paschal, who had fouled out in the final minutes against Pender in 2007, got her redemption as she stole the ball and raced down the court for a layup that made it a 59-51 ball game. Paschal proceeded to seal the deal from the free throw line by going 3-4 at the stripe in the final 40 seconds to ensure a victory.
Morris scored 10 points, dished out five assists and nabbed three steals and was named to the all-tournament team along with center Cassie Harrell, who had four points, one rebound and two assists.
South Robeson was led by Nicorie Sinclair’s 18 points, while Shikira McLean and Krista Davis each added 14.
Paschal’s effort at the free throw line was indicative of the Tigers’ clutch performance as they hit on 74 percent (20-27) of their free throws compared to only 62 percent (13-21) by the Mustangs.
After falling behind 10-7 in the first quarter, Williamston caught fire and excelled on both ends of the court in the middle quarters where it out-scored South Robeson 44-22.
“I think our press was really working early, and that helped us get a big lead,” Paschal said. “(In the fourth quarter) they came out of their zone and we were shocked, but we held it together.”
Williamston will play Bishop McGuiness at noon on Saturday.
NCHSAA Class 1-A
East Regional
South Robeson 10 7 15 23 — 55
Williamston 7 20 24 11 — 62
Mustangs (55)
Shikira McLean 14, Krista Davis 14, Drawhorn 4, Nicorie Sinclair 18, Robinson 5
Tigers (62)
Zakkeya Morris 10, Harrell 4, Jones 4, Wynn 2, Katie Paschal 40, Norfleet 2.