Cherokee overwhelms East Columbus in 1A girls basketball state championship game
If high school sports are about community, then what community could be as strong, as binding, as long-standing as the generational community that comes with growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians?
That community was on full display, taking up about three-quarters of the lower bowl of Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum in Friday's N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A girls basketball championship.
- Box Score: Cherokee 74, East Columbus 32
- Basketball state championship schedule
- Interactive basketball state playoff brackets
Also on display: winning basketball -- the ᏣᎳᎩ way.
Cherokee rolled to a 74-32 win over East Columbus to win the school's second state championship -- the first in 28 years -- to send those thousands of Braves supporters home happy.
"It's just amazing the support that we have. They make every court that we step onto a home-court advantage, whether it be we're one hour away or three hours away," freshman Joscelyn Stamper said. "They'd be proud of us, win or lose, and it's an amazing feeling."
Cherokee was so dominant that the running clock started in the third quarter -- the Braves were up 40 with 2:27 left in the period. The Braves (29-1) went up 15-3 early, led 36-18 at halftime, and outscored East Columbus 26-2 in the third quarter. At no point did the Gators (26-2) have the lead.
Stamper had a double-double in the first half alone, but the difference was in the Braves' defense. The 6-foot-1 post player had 17 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and six steals, earning her Cherokee's Most Outstanding Player.
The MVP honor went to Dvdaya Swimmer, the Cherokee sophomore who had 17 points, four assists, and five steals. Swimmer, who has also won back-to-back 1A cross country championships, was 6-of-11 from the field.
"I know the women that won it in '96 are proud of us," Swimmer said.
The Cherokee press forced turnovers, but it was more than just their press: the Braves were relentless in pressuring whatever Gators player happened to have the ball. It forced East Columbus into rushing decisions, leading to 21 turnovers in the first half alone and 30 for the game.
Cherokee got 35 points off turnovers, 38 in the pain, and 21 on fast break opportunities.
"Out of my 30-plus years of coaching, this was probably the best team that I've coached. They just do the little things that put them over the top and I could not ask for a better group," Cherokee coach Ann Gardner said.
Leading the way for East Columbus as Malia J. Graham, who had 10 points, six rebounds, and five steals to be the Gators' Most Outstanding Player. Only four Gators scored in total.
"It's not the ending we wanted but I couldn't be more proud of my girls for breaking every barrier, every historic moment at East Columbus High School, and just putting East Columbus on the map," East Columbus coach Latoya Brown said.
Cherokee, the No. 3 seed from the West, has made three state finals appearances in total while East Columbus, the No. 3 seed from the East, was making its first.
Before the game, one player from each team was given NCHSAA sportsmanship awards. East Columbus' Rylie Graham and Cherokee's Awee Walkingstick were their teams' respective winners, meaning that both winners were Native American.
Graham is a member of another tribal nation, the Waccamaw Siouan.
Box Score: Cherokee 74, East Columbus 32
Cherokee: Cecily "Dvdaya" Swimmer 17, Joscelyn Stamper 17 (14 rebounds), Whitney Rogers 14, Daisee Fourkiller-Raby 6, Kyla Moore 6, Loshi Ward 5, Creedon Arch 5, Aaliyah Rogers 2, Tsuli Lossiah 2.
East Columbus: Malia J. Graham 10, Destiney Mitchell 8, Malayah Hines 7, Chynna Patrick 7.
