CREEDMOOR – One step closer to the ultimate goal for North Duplin.
Three tournament wins away with one season go with the present cast.
The No. 4-seed Rebels fell to No. 1 Falls Lake 67-56 early last week in the fourth round of the 1A state playoffs to finish the season 24-2.
Yet the Rebels went one round deeper than 2021 when they were 22-2 after being knocked off by Wilson Prep in the third round.
Emerson Thompson drilled in 36 points and her taller teammates provide help defensively and otherwise as the Firebirds won for the 31st consecutive time. Thompson came in averaging 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds.
Falls Lake last was beaten 56-51 on Friday by No. 3 Chatham Charter (26-6) in the East Region final. The Knights will play West Region champ Bishop McGuinnes for the 1A title.
Field goals were tough to come by for North Duplin, which fell behind 30-18 at halftime.
The Firebirds upped their margin to 56-30 in the third quarter with a 26-10 blitz.
ND fought back with a 28-11 fourth-quarter spurt to nearly get within striking distance.
“Their coach said ‘I’m glad there wasn’t four more minutes left in the game,” Rebels coach John Oliver said. “I didn’t have them prepared for the box-and-one. No one had ever done that against us this season. They really shut Reece down.”
Reece Outlaw, ND’s leading scorer this year, was limited to 10 points, her lowest output of the season.
“They used a box-and-one on her and she couldn’t get her shot off and got frustrated,” Oliver said.
Center Tateyawna Faison and Adashia Bernal each checked in with six.
The loss snapped a 17-game winning streak. ND’s only other loss was Dec. 16 when 2A Eastern Wayne tripped the Rebels 57-44 in Goldsboro.
“That game inspired us,” Oliver said. “We had the entire Christmas holiday to think about it. Our girls were determined no one was going to beat us again.”
ND returns the bulk of its team next season.
“It was big getting out of the third round this season after having our season end there last season,” Oliver said.
