North Lincoln wins NC high school basketball title, despite forfeiting 17 games
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- North Lincoln forfeited 17 games days before the postseason yet won Class 5A title.
- Juniors Ally Smith and Ashlyn Black, and sophomore Lydia Cipriano scored key points.
- Cipriano’s late free throws sealed a 59-56 win over undefeated Southeast Alamance.
Following a rollercoaster year, where North Lincoln’s playoff hopes were in jeopardy only a month ago, the Knights’ season ended on Saturday with a court storming and the hoisting of its first state championship trophy.
North Lincoln, seeded 23rd, outlasted previously undefeated Southeast Alamance, 59-56, on Saturday afternoon in the NCHSAA Class 5A final at Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum, winning the title in its first championship appearance. It was the first state title won by a Lincoln County girls’ basketball team since East Lincoln went 29-0 and won the title in 1973.
“These girls, I don’t even know how to explain it, they’re just a special group,” North Lincoln head coach Kristen Karr said. “And when things that were out of our control happened, this team could have folded. They could have said, ‘This is not fair,’ and ‘Why did this have to happen to us.’ A lot of excuses could have been made, and they said, ‘We don’t care.’”
Junior Ally Smith and sophomore Lydia Cipriano — who both have Division I offers — led the Knights with 31 points combined. Cipriano also made critical plays — two late 3-pointers and two made free throws — down the stretch to push North Lincoln to the win. Junior Ashlyn Black contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.
In February, North Lincoln (9-21) was at risk of not making the playoffs after the Knights were forced to forfeit 17 games just days before the postseason. Previously, The Charlotte Observer learned the forfeits resulted from the use of an ineligible player, who was reportedly competing in a fifth season of high school basketball, a violation of NCHSAA rules.
Following the forfeits, the then-3-21 Knights not only made the cutoff, but they have continued to win ever since, and had their final test against Southeast Alamance (29-1).
“We all just said that we got to keep going,” Smith said. “We can’t let it stop us. Keep our heads high, keep playing our game. We knew we could get here, even with everything that happened, and that’s what we did.”
North Lincoln controlled the opening four minutes, taking an 11-4 advantage early. Smith paced the Knights, contributing four points and two offensive rebounds.
Southeast Alamance inched within two points after freshman forward Nevaeh Foust hit free throws and had an and-1 two plays later. Leading 11-9 with less than two minutes in the first quarter, North Lincoln’s Ashlyn Black made a layup, but Southeast Alamance’s Dalyse Edwards responded with a 3-pointer in the final 9 seconds to make it a one-point game. North Lincoln led 13-12 entering the second quarter.
Southeast Alamance took its first lead with 7 minutes, 14 seconds left in the half, but juniors Ashlyn and Madi Black worked to put North Lincoln back in front. The pair scored North Lincoln’s next eight points behind two 3s, pushing the Knights to a 23-15 advantage.
“I knew that everybody had to step up,” Ashlyn Black said. “But if not everybody is, then I’ll just do it. We need to rebound, so I started rebounding more. We needed some points. Got the points. It’s just little stuff that we needed. I just pick it up from there.”
With less than three minutes in the half, Southeast Alamance went on a 9-0 tear, taking a 24-23 lead into halftime.
Southeast Alamance remained ahead in the third, outscoring North Lincoln 11-6 in the opening minutes. But a 3 from freshman Reese Burch and a jumper from Cipriano put North Lincoln within one. Then Smith tied it 37-37 with a 3 of her own.
Entering the fourth quarter, tied 41-41, Burch hit a 3-pointer and Southeast Alamance’s Rreanna Johnson responded with a layup. At 45-45 with 4:39 remaining, Smith made both of her free throws, putting North Lincoln in front.
The Knights didn’t relinquish their lead after that. Cipriano — who got into foul trouble in the first half — hit a 3 with three minutes left, but Southeast Alamance’s Shaniya Paylor had an and-1. Cipriano made another 3-pointer a few possessions later, forcing a Southeast Alamance timeout.
“I knew that I had to play smart, but even if I’m not out there … I know that they can pull it through, even if I’m in foul trouble,” Cipriano said. “I knew I could rely on them, and I was confident in them, and then when I could go back in, I did whatever I could do to help.”
With 50 seconds left, a Smith jumper kept North Lincoln in front. But Southeast Alamance responded with another and-1 and a layup to tie the game 56-56 at 19.7 seconds.
After Cipriano was fouled, the junior made two free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining to seal the game and earn the championship that the Knights were determined to have even after their season was upended.
“Their level of effort didn’t change,” Karr said. “They set a goal back in August when it was time to start workouts, and they wanted to be in the state title game. They did everything in their power to get here.”
Game summary
Southeast Alamance 12 12 17 15 — 56
North Lincoln 13 10 18 18 — 59
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE 56 — S. Paylor 23, Lachapelle 4, Mciver 7, R. Johnson 10, Edwards 6, Foust 6
NORTH LINCOLN 59 — Grice4, Bruch 8, A. Smith 16, Black 6, L. Cipriano 15, A. Black 10
This story was originally published March 14, 2026 at 1:56 PM.