North Duplin senior Reece Outlaw surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career with a 30-point outing against Bear Grass Charter on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin junior guard Addy Higginbotham (back) and Bear Grass Charter’s Carly Bembridge scramble for a loose ball during first-half play Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin teammates Lilly Fulghum (11) and Meghan Martin (3) battle for a rebound with a Bear Grass Charter player during first-period action Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin center Tateyawna Faison (12) attempts a first-quarter shot against Bear Grass Charter on Friday evening. Faison posted a double-double - 13 points, 14 rebounds - in the Rebels’ double-digit conquest of the Bears. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Reece Outlaw blocked out the noise. After a couple of dribbles, the first of her two free throw attempts easily dropped through the net.
Outlaw smiled.
With career point No. 999 out of the way, the North Duplin senior remained focused on the basket. She took a deep breath and shot again.
Swish.
“I was thinking about getting it in the goal, getting the point … wasn’t really thinking about 1,000,” Outlaw said after a 60-38 conquest of Bear Grass Charter on Friday evening. “I couldn’t have done it without Addy [Higginbotham], the teamwork of passing it to each other. It’s been a four-year process, but it’s been really fun this last year.”
ND athletics director Ricky Edwards presented Outlaw with an encased basketball to commemorate the achievement. She carried it across the court to her family.
Outlaw tossed in 30 points for the Rebels, who toiled through 22 turnovers, 17 missed free throws and foul trouble among their starters – most notably Higginbotham and Outlaw.
Higginbotham fouled out and watched the final 10 1/2 minutes from the bench. Outlaw carried three fouls over from the first half and picked up an offensive foul with barely a minute remaining in regulation.
“We were playing too anxious, too aggressive,” Outlaw said.
Consecutive offensive putbacks from Meghan Martin and Tateyawna Faison boosted North Duplin’s advantage to 22-11 just two-plus minutes into the second quarter.
Higginbotham picked up her third foul during that stretch.
With the junior point guard sidelined, Bear Grass Charter ramped up the intensity in its 1-2-1-1 zone press. The tactic sped up the game, created turnovers and allowed the Bears to climb to within 29-23 at halftime.
“I want them to play tough defense on anybody,” Rebels head coach John Oliver said. “I would say 40 percent of our offense comes from defense, but there are times where you’ve got to back off. Addy and Reece should have backed off after their third [foul], give up on steals and play straight-up defense.”
Outlaw’s 3-pointer off Higginbotham’s assist and Faison’s putback after her own miss highlighted a 12-2 run to start the third quarter.
Bear Grass Charter couldn’t answer.
The Bears (4-3 overall) chased down long offensive rebounds and caused several held-ball possessions on both ends of the hardwood. However, they failed to convert the opportunities and found themselves down 46-28 when Higginbotham logged her fifth foul.
Outlaw polished off the quarter with a 3-pointer off Valaja Wallace’s assist. The Rebels led 51-32 with one more tension-filled, eight-minute session left to play.
“We put pressure on ourselves, thought this team was going to come in and roll over,” Oliver said. “They had the same pressure on us that Lakewood had the first time they played us in [2022]. I told them they had to fight through that.
“The second half, I thought we played really good.”
Faison finished the night with a double-double – 13 points and 14 rebounds. The lanky junior center also blocked seven shots. Martin supplied five points and four rebounds.
Sophomore guard Lilly Fulghum filled Higginbotham’s void and tallied nine points, including a 7 of 8 effort at the free throw line. Higginbotham registered six points, three steals and three rebounds.
Outlaw picked the Bears for seven steals.
North Duplin (4-0) launches a four-game road swing Tuesday at county rival James Kenan. Tip-off is approximately 6 p.m. inside Harmon Gym.
“We need to stay loose, play together as a team and try to keep a smile on our faces even though what’s happening at the time,” Outlaw said.
She had the biggest smile of all.
