As a freshman, it’s not always easy to come in and immediately make a difference on the basketball court. For Southside’s Ka’Nyah O’Neal, she has not only done that, she has taken it a step further. O’Neal has been the team’s go-to scorer for much of the season’s first half and continues to be a matchup problem for opponents.

Through the first nine games of the season, O’Neal is nearly averaging a double-double. She averages an astounding 20.3 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 5.3 steals per game.

She has the ability to hit shots outside the perimeter, but she’s equally as skilled when it comes to driving the basketball and finding open teammates to dish it to with an open look.

In last weekend’s holiday tournament at South Creek, O’Neal put on a show. She put up 31 points in the Seahawks’ win over Edenton Holmes, picking up eight steals and put the finishing touches on the victory with some clutch free throws down the stretch. She also halted the Lady Aces’ 10-0 run late in the game with a dime of a pass to her teammate, Shantel Cannon, who finished an and-1 opportunity at the charity stripe.

After the game, head coach Milton Ruffin explained what makes O’Neal so dynamic and why she’s had so much success at a young age.
“One thing about Ka’Nyah is she’s very humble. She doesn’t worry about points, she just does what she does on the basketball court,” Ruffin said. “She’s a great team-player. She brings a lot to our team. She makes the game easier for everyone around her. She knows the ball game, and you can tell that she was raised around it. She’s a great player and everything you can ask for.”

The next night, O’Neal dropped 26 points on the Camden County Bearettes with nine rebounds and eight steals.

O’Neal’s goal for her tenure as a Southside Seahawks was simple.

“I just want to win a lot of games,” O’Neal said following the win over Edenton in the Holiday tournament last weekend. She also nodded in approval when asked whether or not she wanted to continue scoring 20 to 30 points a game.

With the backstretch of the basketball season on the horizon, there are some big matchups looming for the Lady Seahawks’ basketball team. There’s currently a three-way tie for first-place in the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference between Tarboro, Southside and Pamlico County. Southside begins the second half of the season with a road contest at Tarboro High School on Monday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m.

Another marquee matchup will be next Friday night, Jan 10. The Seahawks will face the 2018 Conference and State Champion Hurricanes of Pamlico County in Chocowinity.