Southern Wayne freshman Destiny Bullock (13) hustles after a loose ball against Eastern Wayne’s Aliya Brown, left, and Elana Jones, right, at midcourt. Following the play is Saints guard Nevaeh Hines-Bass. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne senior Nygeria Thompson (25) scores against Eastern Wayne’s Aliyah Brown during fourth-quarter play Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Kyren Strong (5) gets wrapped up by an Eastern Wayne defender as they battle for a loose ball during first-half action Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — The hardwood has become a classroom for Southern Wayne head varsity girls’ basketball coach Ricky Lofton.
With just two starters back from a year ago, the youth-ladened and inexperienced Saints find themselves in a learning curve.
That’s not to mention they’re frustrated, too.
Cross-county rival Eastern Wayne invaded “The Halo” and returned to New Hope with a 56-28, non-conference triumph Friday evening. The unbeaten Warriors (8-0) secured their first regular-season sweep over the Saints since 2019.
“You can’t take anything from Eastern Wayne, they’re real good and they knew what they were doing,” Lofton said. “Everybody sees that we’re just so young, and right now everybody just doesn’t understand the game. That’s the big thing. They’re playing hard and I can’t ask no more than that.”
Eastern Wayne, as expected, disrupted the Saints’ offense just like every other opponent. The Warriors took Neveah Hines-Bass out of the equation, which disrupted any opportunity of finding a scoring rhythm.
The tactic forced freshman Azariah Jordan and junior Kyren Strong to handle the ball.
“We’d get the ball and we turned it over,” Lofton said.
Southern Wayne scratched for one field goal in 6 1/2 minutes before Nygeria Thompson converted an old-fashioned, three-point play. The Saints trailed 10-5 after one period.
Nearly midway through the second quarter, Hines-Bass tallied a basket off Mckenzie Strickland’s assist. Eastern Wayne answered with a 12-4 run, which included Imari Buckmon’s 3-pointer from near the Saints’ bench.
The Warriors stretched their lead in the second half.
They dominated the glass, converted baskets in transition and eventually collected their 30th win in the series since 2007.
Hines-Bass recorded 12 points, five steals and four rebounds. Thompson just missed a double-double with nine points and 12 boards. Jordan contributed five points, three rebounds and five steals.
Wilberline Senatus logged two points.
“We’ve just got to keep our head up, be ready for that tournament down there in Kinston,” Lofton said. “We’re going to practice all 12 days, well, I will give them Christmas off. But that’s one thing I can say about them. They show up to practice, even with all of the games we’ve lost.
“They’ve still got their confidence.”
Southern Wayne (0-7 overall) meets Rosewood on opening day of the 2023 Greater Neuse River Fellowship of Christian Athletes Winter Classic. Tip-off for the Dec. 27 contest is 10:30 a.m. at Lenoir Community College.
