By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Washington Daily News
LELAND -- It might have been a road playoff game on paper for Plymouth, but the Vikings wouldn't have been able to tell that, thanks to the larger fan base that drove three and a half hours to Leland.
The trip was worth it to the fans, as Plymouth used a suffocating press defense and wore down the North Brunswick Scorpions, 84-56, in Wednesday's second round of the N.C. High School Athletics Association Class 1-A State playoffs.
The Vikings (24-2), winners of 10 straight, will travel to Camden County, the Atlantic Conference championship, for the sectional championship on Friday.
Damien Linson, who finished with his second straight triple double coming up with 14 points, 10 assists, 10 steals and seven rebounds, said the Vikings all feel welcome, whether they are on the road or at home.
Brandon Carter brought those Plymouth fans to their feet numerous times. Carter scored a game-high 27 points, including 16 in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Carter missed Monday's playoff opening win against Jones Senior, because of illness.
The game pitted Plymouth's speed against the size of North Brunswick (15-4) early in the game. But it was Plymouth's big man, Joshua Armand (14 points, seven rebounds), who tried to set the tone early.
Armand went right at 6-5 Scorpion senior Adrain Grady, hitting his first three shots to give the Vikings a 9-4 lead.
better," Armand said. "I just came out and kept my mentality up."
After Armand's third bucket, Carter scored after an offensive rebound by Travis Fuller (five points, 14 rebounds) to cap a 9-0 run and give the Vikings an 11-4 edge.
But the Scorpions didn't back down. North Brunswick, which turned a 2-14 season a year ago into a Coastal Plains Conference championship this season, used a 9-0 run of its own, going up 15-14 on a triple by Rico Tillery (16 points).
Plymouth responded with a 13-4 spurt to grab a 34-20 advantage. They then took a 43-30 lead into the locker room.
From there, Plymouth continued to run the floor and wear down the Scorpions.
Carter started the second half by hitting a triple to push the lead back to 16 points. A short time later a 13-2 spurt made it 59-35 and the Vikings were in complete control.
The lead could have been bigger, but the Vikings struggled at the foul line, hitting just 11-of-32 for the game. The Vikings put it away with a 10-0 run to start the fourth.
Grady, who played a monster game in defeat, said he was impressed with the Vikings.
Grady, who finished with 10 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks, said the Scorpions have no reason to hang their heads.
That's sounds quite a bit like Plymouth and come Friday the Plymouth fans will be ready again.
Varsity Boys
Plymouth (84)
Brandon Carter 27, Joshua Armand 14, Damien Linson 14, Anthony White 13, Fuller 5, Cherry 3, Bryant 2, Wilkins 2, Spruill 2, Craig 2, B. Biggs, R. Biggs, Jackson.
North Brunswick (56)
Rico Tillery 16, Trey Kennedy 11, Adrain Grady 10, Brown 8, Sparkman 4, Brown 3, Bryant 2, Sovoka 2, Davis, Spearman, Cobb.
Plymouth 19 24 16 25 -- 84
North Brunswick 18 12 10 16 -- 56