NCHSAA championship central: Thursday’s updates, plus week’s recaps from Winston-Salem

It’s Final Four Week for the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s basketball playoffs.

The NCHSAA brought the Final Four format to Winston-Salem last year, and it was a big hit with fans, players and coaches.

The first part of the week ended Thursday night, with the last of the regional championship games.

Now it’s state title game time, with four championship games Friday and four more Saturday.

The schedule is listed below, under the summaries of the games this week.

Planning to go?

All games are at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Location: 2825 University Parkway, Winston-Salem

Tickets: Tickets for Friday’s and Saturday’s championship games are $20 at the gate. Tickets also can be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster, at www.jvm/com/events-tickets.

Bag policy: Clear plastic bags up to 1 gallon permitted, as are handbags the size of a hand (6.5 by 4.5 inches).

Prohibited items: Noisemakers, cameras with lenses longer than 6 inches; cans, glasses or metal containers; food or drink; signs and banners (see website for complete list)

Parking: $10 per car; $30 per charter bus

Information: www.ljvm.com

HOW TO WATCH

All games carried live by NFHS, available via subscription (www.nfhs.com)

Live scoreboard

Today’s topic

TODAY’S TOPIC: This is great, but what about next year?

The N.C. High School Athletic Association last year found a great solution to its problem of overcrowded gyms for basketball’s regional finals.

Why not have a Final Four format — a week of regional finals and state finals at the same location? The idea has been a big hit the past two years, but now there’s a new problem: What happens next year?

Having four size classifications fit neatly into the one-week schedule.

Each of the classes have one day of regional finals, which stretches from Monday to Thursday. And then the championship games are played on Friday and Saturday.

Next year, however, the state moves from four classes to eight.

The 24-games-in-six-days concept won’t work any more. So what will happen?

In conversations during the past year, NCHSAA officials have said they want to keep the concept going.

To do so, they’ll need:

▪ Two venues. It would make sense for the venues to be near one another, so NCHSAA personnel and other officials can move from site to site as needed.

▪ A lot of help. It takes hundreds of people to stage this one week festival of basketball, and doubling the whole thing means a lot more help will be needed.

Winston-Salem has worked well, as a sort of centralized location. So if the NCHSAA keeps Wake Forest as a venue, what is the second site?

Some have argued that the four smaller classes could play at the same site — a venue smaller than Wake Forest.

But NCHSAA officials are being careful not to slight anyone. Commissioner Que Tucker has said the NCHSAA’s goal is to give all student-athletes a similar championship experience.

Perhaps UNC Greensboro could be a second site. There are multiple sites in the Raleigh-Durham area, and we’d be remiss without mentioning that Charlotte has several sites — Halton Arena (Charlotte 49ers’ home), Davidson College, Queens University, Bojangles Coliseum.

The NCHSAA faces a number of sticky problems with the expansion to eight classes next year. Trying to keep the Final Four week format alive is right up near the top.

Thursday at the Final Four

GAME 1: (East girls) SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE 48, SEAFORTH 45

Southeast Alamance evened the score with Seaforth for the season, but the Stallions’ victory Thursday was the big one, as it sent the school to its first state championship game.

The two teams are members of the Mid-Carolina 1A-2A Conference, and they split a pair of regular-season games. Seaforth then beat the Stallions in the conference tournament final.

In the fourth meeting of the season, Southeast Alamance (28-3) survived a 3-point shot attempt in the final seconds by Seaforth. The Hawks (28-3) had gotten the ball after Southeast Alamance missed a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left.

The two teams traded the lead several times in the second half, after Southeast Alamance built a 24-23 halftime lead. Seaforth, behind three 3-pointers from Katie Leonard, rallied for a 39-38 lead after three quarters.

Leonard finished with 14 points. Clara LaChapelle led Southeast Alamance with 16 points, scoring half that total in the first quarter.

GAME 2: (East boys) NORTHWOOD 57, WEST BLADEN 38

Northwood got its offense untracked in the second half and raced to a 19-poiint victory over East Bladen in the 2A boys’ East Regional championship.

Northwood, which is 0-for-5 in state title games, will get another chance Saturday. The Chargers most recently reached the championship in 2023, losing to Central Cabarrus in the 3A finals.

West Bladen (27-2) broke to a 7-2 lead, but Northwood (30-2) battled back and was tied 13-all after the first quarter. West Bladen built a 19-15 lead with 3:20 left in the first half, but Northwood outscored the Knights 9-2 for the rest of the half and led 24-21 at intermission.

The Chargers gradually pulled away in the second half, building a 38-29 lead after three quarters. A Josiah Brown 3-pointer and a Cam Fowler dunk gave Northwood a 45-31 leaad midway through the fourth quarter, and the Chargers were in the clear.

Fowler, a 6-5 junior, finished with 21 points. Chase Williams scored a team-high 16 for West Bladen.

GAME 3: (West girls) NORTH WILKES 60, EAST BURKE 36

Meredith Tomko and Ralee Bare ignited an 18-0 run that took up most of the second quarter and enabled the Vikings (30-1) to win the 2A West girls’ regional title in a rout.

East Burke had narrowed North Wilkes’ lead to 15-14 on a jump shot by Addison Sisk just 16 seconds into the second quarter, but the rest of the period belonged to the Vikings.

Tomko started the run with a 3-pointer, and Bare kept it going with a 3-pointer and a stick-back basket. Tomko hit another 3-pointer at the 3:33 mark, and North Wilkes led 28-14.

North Wilkes led 33-14 at halftime and coasted the rest of the way. The Vikings will play in the state championship for the second time, having lost in the 2018 title contest.

Tomko led North Wilkes with 21 points, Ralee Bair added 13, and Shalyn Bare collected 17 rebounds. The Vikings outrebounded the Cavaliers (29-2) 41-26.

Kara Brinkley led East Burke with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Braelyn Stilwell added 10 points.

GAME 4: (West boys) REIDSVILLE 79, BANDYS 50

Reidsville pulled away from Bandys in the third quarter and won its third consecutive 2A West boys’ regional basketball championship. The Rams (30-0), extending their unbeaten streak to 59 games, will play Saturday for their second straight state title.

Reidsville beat Farmville Central for the 2A crown last year after losing to Farmville in the 2023 finals.

After a close first quarter, the Rams built a 37-21 halftime lead, but Bandys (22-8) started the third quarter on a 7-0 run. After that, Reidsville kicked its offense into high gear and pulled away.

Wednesday at the Final Four

GAME 1: (West boys) NORTH MECKLENBURG 64, CHAMBERS 56

North Mecklenburg will play for a second straight 4A boys’ state championship Saturday, after the Vikings pulled away from Chambers and won the West Regional title.

Chambers (23-9), which won one of three meetings with the Vikings during the regular season, trailed early but battled back in the third quarter and even took the lead. North Mecklenburg (29-3) recovered, taking a 37-35 lead into the fourth quarter.

However, Chambers junior standout Tarris Bouie III had picked up his fourth personal foul late in the third quarter and went to the bench. With Bouie out of the game, North Mecklenburg gained ground.

Ashton Pierce hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final period, and the Vikings built their lead to 11 points.

Pierce finished with 17 points, 13 of those in the final quarter. Bouie and Markus Kerr each had 13 for Chambers.

North Mecklenburg won the state championship a year ago, beating New Hanover in the finals. The Vikings will face the winner of the New Hanover-Sanderson game in Saturday’s title contest.

GAME 2: (East boys) NEW HANOVER 83, SANDERSON 55

New Hanover will get another crack at North Mecklenburg.

The Wildcats raced to a big early lead and walloped Raleigh Sanderson 83-55 in the 4A boys’ East regional championship Wednesday afternoon.

It means New Hanover (30-2), which has won 15 state championships dating back to 1920, will face North Mecklenburg on Saturday in a rematch of the 2024 title game, won by North Meck.

The Wildcats eliminated the drama from their Wednesday game by starting on an 11-0 run and racing to a 24-9 first-quarter lead. New Hanover extended the lead to 20 points at the 6:45 mark of the second quarter and led 41-18 at halftime.

Kellum Brown, a 6-4 junior, scored 17 points for New Hanover in the first half.

Sanderson showed signs of life in the third quarter, thanks in large part to 6-2 senior Nathan Fife, who scored 14 points in the period. But New Hanover extended its margin to 60-34, entering the final period.

The Wildcats had five players score in double figures, led by Brown with 26.

Fife and junior Mack Snavely each had 22 for the Spartans.

GAME 3: (East girls) WAKEFIELD 31, HOGGARD 23

Put two defensive-minded teams together, and what do you get? How about the lowest-scoring East regional tournament game ever?

Raleigh Wakefield (26-3) pulled away in the fourth quarter and subdued Wilmington Hoggard (30-2) in the 4A East girls’ regional championship.

The teams set a pair of records along the way.

Hoggard came into the game holding opponents to an average of 26 points a game. For three quarters, the Vikings put the clamps on Wakefield’s offense, limiting the Wolverines to 17 points. But Wakefield’s offense finally ignited in the fourth quarter.

In a game that frequently went long stretches without points being scored, Hoggard led 8-7 after one quarter, and Wakefield rallied for a 14-13 halftime lead.

Hoggard entered the fourth quarter up 21-17, but Wakefield rallied in the final five minutes.

Lyla Bagwell led the Wolverines with nine points. Tristan Shivers scored 14 for Hoggard, but only two other teammates got into the scoring column.

The 54-point total for the two teams broke the girls’ East regional record of fewest points, 59, set in 2011 when Millbrook beat Southeast Raleigh 33-26. Hoggard’s total broke the all-time East regional record for fewest points by one team — Southeast Raleigh’s total in 2011.

GAME 4: (West girls) LAKE NORMAN 58, McDOWELL 52

Lake Norman forced three McDowell turnovers in the closing two minutes and advanced to its second 4A girls’ state championship game in three years.

The Wildcats (29-1) handed the Titans (30-1) their first loss of the season and advanced to Saturday’s title game against Wakefield.

After a close first quarter, Lake Norman went on an 11-0 run for a 20-14 lead, but the Titans battled back and led 32-28 at halftime.

The teams traded leads several times in the second half, and Lake Norman senior standout Alexis Shehan picked up her fourth personal foul with 5:47 left in the game and the scored tied 40-all. Shehan managed to avoid getting a fifth foul, and teammate Rayana Minard scored nine points in the final period.

The key came in the final minute. McDowell’s Khloe Joyner missed two free throws with 55 seconds left and her team trailing 52-50. Minard was fouled on a shot and made the first of two free throws. She missed the second shot, but Alexis Shehan grabbed the rebound and scored.

That gave the Wildcats a 55-50 lead.

Minard finished with 17 points, and Alexis Shehan added 15. Joyner and Kimora Stewart each had 14 points for McDowell.

Tuesday at the Final Four

GAME 1: (West boys) CORVIAN COMMUNITY 75, QUEEN’S GRANT CHARTER 44

Corvian Community (24-7) raced to an 11-0 lead and turned the much-anticipated Mecklenburg 1A showdown into a one-sided romp Tuesday over Queen’s Grant Charter.

The two teams had dominated local 1A competition throughout the season, and they finally collided in the West Regional final. But the Cardinals, who advance to their second straight state championship game, were in control from the start Tuesday.

They built a 38-15 halftime lead and never were threatened. R.J. Moore Jr. scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half, and he added nine rebounds.

Queen’s Grant (27-8), reaching the Final Four for the first time, was hurt by cold shooting throughout the afternoon. The Stallions made only 16% of their field goal attempts in the first half.

Corvian Community, which lost 65-63 to Wilson Prep in last year’s 1A title game, will play Friday against the winner of the East final between Washington County and Southern Wake Academy.

Tap here for full coverage: story, photos, video

GAME 2: (East girls) EAST BLADEN 77, PERQUIMANS 63

East Bladen built a big lead, saw it evaporate after halftime, and then pulled away again in the fourth quarter Tuesday to win the 1A East Regional girls’ championship.

The Eagles (26-3), who lost in the regional finals a year ago, led 34-25 at halftime, thanks in part to Nene Ward, who connected on six 3-pointers — five of them in the first quarter.

But Perquimans (28-3), the East’s No. 1 seed, battled back in the third quarter. The Pirates went on a 16-1 run, during which Ward was forced to the bench after picking up her fourth personal foul. Perquimans led by six points, but that lead didn’t last.

East Bladen surged late in the third quarter and opened a 53-43 lead by the end of the period.

The Eagles extended that margin in the fourth quarter.

Ward, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and never did foul out, finished with 30 points. Laila Smith added 27.

Kaydee Hunter scored 21 for Perquimans.

GAME 3: (East boys) SOUTHERN WAKE ACADEMY 70, WASHINGTON COUNTY 56

Southern Wake Academy built a big early lead and coasted to a 14-point victory in the 1A East boys’ regional final Tuesday evening.

The Lions (29-4) advance to their first-ever state championship game, which will be a Raleigh vs. Charlotte meeting of charter schools. Southern Wake’s opponent will be Corvian Community, last year’s 1A runner-up.

Southern Wake jumped to a 20-13 first-quarter lead and then expanded that to a 40-23 margin at halftime. Seung Surmons scored 13 points for the Lions in the half.

Washington County (22-4), the East’s No. 1 seed, cut the deficit down to nine points in the third quarter before Southern Wake pulled away again.

Southern Wake Academy had five players score in double figures, led by Surmons’ 17 points.

Brandon Carter scored 27 points for Washington County, but he was saddled with four trouble much of the second half.

GAME 4: (West girls) CHEROKEE 65, BISHOP McGUINNESS 61

Defending 1A girls’ state champion Cherokee got a go-ahead 3-pointer from Daisy Fourkiller-Raby with 11 seconds remaining and downed Bishop McGuinness on Tuesday night.

Bishop McGuinness (27-3), losing to Cherokee for the second straight year in the regional finals, led much of the way and had an eight-point lead in the closing minutes. But Cherokee (27-2), cheered by a huge crowd that followed the team to Winston-Salem, battled back.

After Cherokee tied the game 59-59, Bishop McGuinness’ Adelaide Jernigan scored on a basket. But Joscelyn Stamper answered with a basket for Cherokee, tying the game 61-all with 42 seconds left.

The Villains were called for traveling with 24 seconds left, giving the ball to Cherokee and setting up Fourkiller-Raby’s winning shot.

Bishop McGuinness turned the ball over after the 3-pointer, and Cherokee converted a final free throw.

Stamper scored 29 points, 10 of those in the fourth quarter, and Fourkiller-Raby added 18. Jernigan, an N.C. State commit, had 25.

Monday at the Final Four

It’s 3A Day in Winston-Salem, and here are results and previews of Monday’s four games:

GAME 1: (West girls) STUART CRAMER 62, NORTH LINCOLN 38

Stuart Cramer’s Oshauna Holland is an unstoppable force, but she isn’t the Storm’s only weapon.

Senior Hadley Womack single-handedly stopped a North Lincoln rally in the third quarter Monday and helped lift Stuart Cramer to a 62-38 victory and the 3A West Regional championship.

The Storm (29-2) will play Friday in its first state championship game.

North Lincoln (29-2), which trailed 26-13 in the second quarter, had battled back to a 28-27 deficit on Hailey Hagler’s short jump shot early in the third period. Womack then took over, connecting on 3-pointers on three straight possessions and giving her team a 37-27 lead.

The Storm never looked back afterward.

Womack finished with 22 points, hitting six times from 3-point range. Holland, a junior who is likely to earn all-state honors, had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Lauren Humphrey, a 6-2 sophomore center, added 12 points.

Stuart Cramer’s tenacious defense forced North Lincoln into 18 turnovers, and the Storm also piled up a 31-22 rebounding edge. It was too much for the Knights, who opened their season with a loss to Lake Norman and then won 29 in a row until Monday.

The Storm’s defense harassed the Knights, who shot only 29% (13-of-45) from the floor. North Lincoln, which started a freshman and three sophomores, was led by Ashlyn Black, with 13 points.

“We felt a man-to-man defense would be good,” Stuart Cramer coach Carey Pohlman said. “We felt we matched up well against them.”

GAME 2: (East boys) SOUTHERN DURHAM 78, SWANSBORO 65

Southern Durham went on a 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter and played its way into its first state championship game in more than 60 years, beating Swansboro 78-65.

The Spartans (30-2), who are undefeated against North Carolina competition this season, launched their run after Swansboro (26-2) had gone on a 7-0 run of its own early in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 56-56. The teams traded baskets, and Southern Durham then built a 68-58 lead with its 10-point surge.

Swansboro dealt with foul problems much of the game and Jonah Holt, who had 11 rebounds, fouled out with 4:27 left. Leading scorer Jermaine Cunningham picked up his third foul in the second quarter and missed parts of the game.

Jackson Keith led Southern Durham with 30 points, and A.J. Morman Jr. added 19. Cunningham’s 21 led Swansboro.

Southern Durham’s last title-game appearance was in 1959.

GAME 3: (East girls) WESTERN ALAMANCE 64, TERRY SANFORD 48

Allie Sykes scored 32 points and Tina Bowers added 21, as Western Alamance denied Terry Sanford a chance at back-to-back finals appearances, winning 64-48.

The Warriors (27-4) raced to a 25-14 first-quarter lead, thanks to three 3-pointers by Sykes, but Terry Sanford (27-4) cut the margin to 30-23 by halftime.

The Bulldogs, who lost to West Rowan in last year’s 3A championship game, got within three points in the third quarter, but Western Alamance pulled away again. The Warriors went on a 5-0 run early in the final period on a 3-pointer by Bowers and a basket by Xiomara Moser.

Jaidiah Blake led Terry Sanford with 20 points.

Western Alamance has reached the state finals once before, losing to Ledford in the 2000 Class 2A championship.

GAME 4: (West boys) BEN L. SMITH 71, HUNTER HUSS 57

Ben L. Smith, an 11 seed in the playoffs, wore down Hunter Huss with its size and advanced to the 3A state finals against Southern Durham.

Jyi Dawkins, a junior wing, totaled 24 points and 12 rebounds for Smith (28-3), which pulled away in the fourth quarter and took advantage of Huss missing several free throws in the final period. The Huskies were 3-of-7 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.

Jaleel Smith led Hunter Huss (20-9) with 19 points.

Tap here for game story/photos/video

This week’s schedule

MONDAY (Class 3A)

West girls

Stuart Cramer 62, North Lincoln 38

East boys

Southern Durham 78, Swansboro 65

East girls

Western Alamance 64, Terry Sanford 48

West boys

Ben L. Smith 71, Hunter Huss 57

TUESDAY (Class 1A)

West boys

Corvian Community 75, Queen’s Grant Charter 44

East girls

East Bladen 77, Perquimans 63

East boys

Southern Wake Academy 70, Washington County 56

West girls

Cherokee 65, Bishop McGuinness 61

WEDNESDAY (Class 4A)

West boys

North Mecklenburg 64, Chambers 56

East boys

New Hanover 83, Sanderson 55

East girls

Wakefield 31, Hoggard 23

West girls

Lake Norman 58, McDowell 52

THURSDAY (Class 2A)

East girls

Southeast Alamance 48, Seaforth 45

East boys

Northwood 57, West Bladen 38

West girls

North Wilkes 60, East Burke 36

West boys

Reidsville 79, Bandys 50

State championships

FRIDAY

1A BOYS

Corvian Community (24-7) vs. Southern Wake (29-4), 1:05 p.m.

1A GIRLS

Cherokee (27-2) vs. East Bladen (26-3), 3:35 p.m.

3A GIRLS

Stuart Cramer (29-2) vs. Western Alamance (27-4), 6:05 p.m.

3A BOYS

Southern Durham (30-2) vs. Ben L. Smith (28-3), 8:35 p.m.

SATURDAY

4A GIRLS

Lake Norman (29-1) vs. Wakefield (26-3), 12:05 p.m.

4A BOYS

North Mecklenburg (29-3) vs. New Hanover (30-2), 2:35 p.m.

2A GIRLS

North Wilkes (30-1) vs. Southeast Alamance (28-3), 5:05 p.m.

2A BOYS

Reidsville (30-0) vs. Northwood (30-2), 7:35 p.m.

This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 5:15 AM.