A strong start helped propel North Surry over No. 17 West Stokes in the second round of the NCHSAA Playoffs.
Greyhound senior Kolby Watson matched a season-high 23 points, 11 of which came in the third quarter, to help No. 1 North Surry win 75-62 and book its ticket to the Sweet 16.
Seeding was thrown out the window when it was announced the No. 1 Greyhounds (27-1) and Wildcats (15-11) would meet in the postseason as these teams have played a number of close games in recent years. Prior to Thursday, North and West were 2-2 in their past four meetings, and all four were decided by single digits.
“It’s difficult to beat a team multiple times in a season, especially one you’ve been very familiar with the last couple of years,” said North Surry coach Tyler Bentley. “Both teams have got a lot better as the season’s progressed, and that’s what you hope for: to be playing your best ball around February or March.
“Both of these teams really were at their best and I’m really happy to come away with the win.”
Bentley was also aware of the added motivation West Stokes had to take down the No. 1-ranked team in the bracket.
“We’ve had a target on our back all season,” Bentley said. “When you’re the one seed everybody expects you to go deep in the playoffs, and we have those expectations too, but the big thing for us is that we’re just going to take it one game at a time. We’re going to focus on who our opponent is at the time not even look at any other round or team.
“Tonight, all of our focus was on West Stokes and West Stokes only.”
The Hounds came out swinging and scored the game’s first nine points. Not out of the fight, the Wildcats battled back and made it a one-possession game midway through the second quarter.
North Surry jumped ahead by 10 at halftime, then went up 37-24 early in the third quarter. West’s Keyon Rawley and Bryson Bowman led the Wildcats on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to 41-36 with 3:05 remaining in the quarter.
The Greyhounds then took their largest lead of the game thanks to a 12-2 run in the final three minutes of the third quarter. North scored 21 in the quarter, and Watson scored 11 of the 22 while assisting on another field goal.
Bowman, Rawley and Cam Edmonds led West on its best scoring quarter in the fourth by combining for 19, but West never got back within single digits of North.
“I thought our defensive effort and mentality is what separated the game for us,” Bentley said. “They’ve got some really good scorers and some smart basketball players, so we wanted to emphasize defense in this game and the guys did a great job across the board.”
Edmonds, who dropped 34 in a first-round playoff win over No. 16 Surry Central, was a focal point of North Surry’s defense. The Hounds went to a box-and-1 for most of the game, with Jahreece Lynch staying on Edmonds for most of the game. Makiyon Woodbury and Fisher Leftwich each took turns guarding the Wildcat junior as well.
“I’m really proud of Fisher and Makiyon for the minutes that they gave,” Bentley said. “There was no drop off from when Jahreece was guarding him. When Jahreece needed to take a break those guys were there and ready to step up, and they did great.”
With Lynch, who leads the Greyhounds with 22.5 points per game this season, primarily focused on defense in the game, North relied multiple players to help pick up that slack on the scoreboard. Watson recorded his third game of 23 points this season, adding three assists and a team-high three steals, while James McCreary (19) and Kam McKnight (14) also finished in double figures.
“I thought Kolby played a great game tonight, especially on the offensive end. He really stepped up,” Bentley said. “That’s what makes this team really good and really fun to coach: we’ve got so many guys that can step up in big moments and do whatever needs to be done.”
Lynch still managed to score 12 points in the victory, with 10 coming in the second half. Lynch led North Surry assists with six while adding five rebounds and two steals.
Cam Taylor led the Greyhounds with six rebounds, and all five Hounds that scored also dished out at least three assists.
West Stokes alternated between zone and man-to-man defense, looking to use its size advantage to disrupt North Surry’s path to the basket while also controlling the boards. While the Wildcats were able to finish plus-10 in rebounding, North’s patience in a halfcourt offense set the team up for a high field goal percentage.
Rawley led the Wildcats with 19 points, followed by Bowman with 17 and Edmonds with 15. Bowman nearly had a double-double with his nine rebounds, and Edmonds finished with five rebounds, three assists and a team-high three steals.
Dillon Stanley was West Stokes’ leader in assists with five and blocks with two. Tyler Moran added four assists.
North Surry will host No. 8 Lincoln Charter (22-11) on Feb. 25. Lincoln Charter defeated No. 25 Brevard 88-58 in the first round, then beat No. 24 Burns 99-64 in the second round.
Scoring
(17) West Stokes – 7, 15, 16, 24 = 62
(1) North Surry – 14, 18, 21, 22 = 75
WS: Keyon Rawley 19, Bryson Bowman 17, Cam Edmonds 15, Tyler Moran 9, Derek Studer 2
NS: Kolby Watson 23, James McCreary 19, Kam McKnight 14, Jahreece Lynch 12, Cam Taylor 7
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com