Jones, Speller combine for 52 points as North Pitt wins 2A title over East Burke
Zamareya Jones' career had almost everything -- 2,000 points, coaches association state player of the year as a junior, one of just 17 players from the state to be a McDonald's All-American -- except a championship.
Her storied high school career ended with one on Saturday
- Box Score: North Pitt 76, East Burke 66
- Basketball state championship schedule
- Interactive basketball playoff brackets
North Pitt defeated East Burke 76-66 in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A girls basketball championship at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum.
It wasn't easy for North Pitt (29-3), as East Burke (31-1) refused to go away.
"They were 31-0 for a reason," North Pitt coach Antwon Pittman said. "We knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight."
Jones picked up her fourth foul with 1:36 left in the third quarter with the Panthers leading 52-40. North Pitt led 54-46 going into the fourth quarter after East Burke's Kamiah Lawing beat the buzzer.
With North Pitt's Jones and freshman Jordan Speller with four fouls apiece, East Burke cut the lead to six with just more than three minutes left, but it was too little too late.
The dynamic duo of Jones and Speller had another incredible game, with Jones -- the N.C. State recruit -- with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists and Speller adding 31 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
Speller was voted the game's MVP while Jones was North Pitt's Most Outstanding Player.
When Jones heard her name over the PA system, she initially was upset. Jones thought that she had won MVP over Speller, and wanted Speller to get the credit. When the MVP announcement came
"Look at the way she plays! She had 31 points as a freshman. Nobody's doing that at a state championship," said Jones, who likened Speller to being her "little sister."
East Burke had one of its own, which is why the Cavaliers were able to hang tough.
Junior point guard Braelyn Stilwell had 23 points, four rebounds, and four rebounds while sophomore forward Kara Brinkley had 28 points and 19 rebounds.
Brinkley, who had a double-double by halftime, was 9-of-15 from the floor en route to the Cavaliers' Most Outstanding Player award.
"We just fought for it today and went after it. I remember about everybody in the game attacked the rim at some point, just trying to give their best effort," East Burke coach Crystal Bartlett said.
North Pitt, the 1-seed from the East, has now won four state titles in four appearances, including the NCHSAA's first title in 1977 and three more in the last nine years.
East Burke, the 3-seed from the West, took down last year's 2A champ in the fourth round. The Cavaliers were playing in their first state final in school history, but East Burke has been close lately, now having fallen to eventual state champions four times in the last six years.
Before the game, one player from each team was given NCHSAA sportsmanship awards. North Pitt's Kenae Edwards and East Burke's Kassie Turner were their teams' respective winners.
Box Score: North Pitt 76, East Burke 66
North Pitt: Jordan Speller 31 (10 rebounds), Zamareya Jones 21 (14 rebounds), Kanae Edwards 13, Zihanna Lightfoot 8 (15 rebounds), Gjahnice Chance 3.
East Burke: Kara Brinkley 28 (19 rebounds), Braelyn Stilwell 23, Kassie Turner 4, Kamiah Lawing 4, Anna Coble 4, Ally Moore 3.
