Southeast Raleigh loses heartbreaker in state championship
Southeast Raleigh led by as many as 12 points and didn't trail in the game until the 1:09 mark of the fourth quarter, but that is all Northwest Guilford needed.
The Bulldogs saw its lead disappear in the fourth quarter as Northwest Guilford repeated as state champions with a 44-36 win.
With the Vikings trailing 36-35, Bria Gibbs grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in the basket with 1:09 left in the game to take a 37-36 lead. Southeast Raleigh never led again.
After an empty Southeast Raleigh possessions, Northwest Guilford got two free throws from Cayla King to put the Vikings up 39-36. Two more free throws with 28 seconds left put the Vikings up by five and made the lead insurmountable.
Free throws were the difference in the game, according to Southeast Raleigh coach Nicole Meyers. Southeast Raleigh was 5-of-8 from the free throw line while Northwest Guilford was 18-of-23.
"To have eight free throws in a 32-minute game is baffling to me," Meyers said.
Southeast Raleigh liked the start it had, leading Northwest Guilford 14-4 after the first quarter. But things changed. Northwest Guilford was only called for two fouls in the first half, but on the other end of the floor, the Vikings were in the bonus.
- Box Score: Northwest Guilford 44, Southeast Raleigh 36
- Interactive basketball playoff brackets
- State championship scoreboard
"That's our style of play," Meyers said of the first quarter run. "The second quarter, the dynamics of the game shifted for one reason or another, and to our girls' credit, they tried to fight back"
Southeast Raleigh did fight, all the way until the final minute when Northwest Guilford's lead became too large to overcome in such a short amount of time.
Northwest Guilford was led in scoring by Elizabeth Kitley's 18 points and King's 15 points. The Vikings were 18-of-23 from the free throw line, while Southeast Raleigh was just 5-of-8.
Tamia Davis and Jada McMillian led Southeast Raleigh in scoring with 11 points each. Anya Poole posted six points and 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs.
McMillian was the only senior on the Southeast Raleigh roster this season. The loss on Saturday was the third state championship loss in four seasons for McMillian. The senior leave with 115 wins under her belt though, and Meyers said that is what she will be remembered for.
"Just that winning mentality. She has fought hard all four years, she's been a steady presence for us, a leader who leads by example," Meyers said. "I like to think of her as a silent assassin ... she's done some great things for our program. She's set the mark for others to really follow."
This is the second straight state championship win for Northwest Guilford. The Vikings beat Southeast Raleigh in last year's state championship game as well.
