By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — The funny thing with jumping hurdles is there is always another one until you reach the finish line. Last week, Williamston cleared the biggest hurdle of the season so far when it topped perennial playoff nemesis Weldon 62-51 to win the sectional championship. However, there is little time to enjoy that now as the Tigers prepare to face Pender tonight in the NCHSAA 1-A East Region playoffs at J.H. Rose High School.
The No. 1 seed from the Waccamaw, the Patriots (28-1) are the No. 2 ranked 1-A team in the state, just behind Williamston, and it appears that once again the bar has been raised.
Led by third-year coach Gary Battle, Pender is a playoff tested group that knocked out a very talented Plymouth team a year ago, and advanced to the state championship where it lost to East Bladen.
Battle said last year’s run at a state title won’t help them much this year.
The Patriots’ coach said he is not that familiar with the Tigers’ style, and that he prefers to focus more on his own team instead of getting heavily involved in scouting.
Tigers’ coach Jimmy Elks hasn’t been out to scout the Patriots either, but he did watch them play against Plymouth last year in the east region playoffs, and has also talked to former Vikings’ coach Ulysses Hooker. Elks said that Pender’s athleticism and defense make it extremely difficult to beat.
The Patriots’ man defense could be a blessing in disguise. If Pender chooses to man up on Williamston, that could allow the Tigers’ super sophomore point guard Katie Paschal the freedom to take her defender off the dribble and either score, or create shots for other teammates easier than if the Patriots were in a zone. Paschal is adept at dribbling with either hand and has deceptive speed with the ball in her hands. According to NCPreps.com, Paschal is third in the state in scoring with 25.1 points per game.
However, Pender’s athleticism may make it harder for the Tigers point guard to carve up the Patriots’ defense.
On the offensive end, the Patriots are led by point guard Jannetta Robinson and forward Murial Seabrooks, who is fourth in the state in rebounding (13.4) and 14th in assists (6.3) according to NCPreps.com.
In big playoff games the superstars tend to cancel each other out. So if the combo of Paschal and forward Equalia Vines are on par with Robinson and Seabrooks, tonight’s game could come down to who has the best third scorer, or the deeper bench. In other words, who will step up and be the X factor.
Elks said one of the most important aspect to tonight’s game will be the team’s ability to handle adversity and keep its cool.
The two teams will square off tonight at 7 p.m. at J.H. Rose High School, admission is $8.