Last week was a slow span for Beaufort County basketball. Washington, Northside and Southside all had exams going on, limiting the number of games played.

Things begin to ramp up from here, though. Many teams will be playing as many as three games a week through this final stretch of the season. The momentum on the line made last week’s few games noteworthy, especially given that some were rivalry contests.

Here are last week’s standouts.

 

BRYSON RADCLIFFE, NORTHSIDE

Northside picked up its second 1-A Coastal Plains Conference win of the season with a decisive 68-49 victory over Southside. The Panthers dominated the glass, thanks in part to Bryson Radcliffe.

Radcliffe was one of four Northside players to grab at least seven rebounds. He also poured in 12 points, which was good for second on the team. In a non-league loss to Edenton on Saturday, Radcliffe notched another 14 points and seven rebounds.

 

ATIA SHAMSELDIN, NORTHSIDE

Atia Shamseldin was another dominant post presence for Northside in its two outings last week. Shamseldin led the charge against the Seahawks by scoring a team-best 16 points. His eight rebounds tied his twin brother, Isam, for the team high, too.

Things should only get better for Shamseldin and Northside’s forwards. They embark on a four-game road swing in which they’ll take on two of the league’s bottom feeders in Lejeune and Bear Grass.

 

QUENTIN VAN ESSENDELFT, TERRA CEIA

Terra Ceia played three games last week, including back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, and won them all by a large margin. Quentin Van Essendelft showed his prowess for running the floor with double-doubles on Thursday and Friday.

The Knight guard had 17 points and 10 assists against Ridgecroft on Thursday. He turned around and scored 15 points and assisted on another 10 baskets against Lawrence Academy on Friday. Terra Ceia improves to 17-1 and has a stranglehold on the Tarheel Independent Conference.

 

SYMONE RUFFIN, SOUTHSIDE

Friday’s meeting between the Lady Seahawks and Lady Panthers came right down to the wire. In a game where free throws meant a little more, Symone Ruffin converting on 7-of-8 chances at the charity stripe helped her team defend its court.

Ruffin finished with a team-high 15 points. Her aggression produced five steals, but also got her five fouls. Impressively, Southside’s bench was able to step up when its starters got in foul trouble.

 

NAZAYAH PARKER, WASHINGTON

Washington let another 2-A Eastern Plains Conference bout slip away on Friday, despite Nazayah Parker’s efforts to overwhelm the Lady Panthers. The senior scored 18 points in a 47-46 loss.

The Lady Pack dominated the second quarter to take a 25-17 lead into halftime, but North Johnston came out firing in the second half. It erased its deficit and was able to get one more shot to fall than Washington, which lost footing in the league heading into a tough stretch.