North Duplin’s Branson Martin, right, and teammate Micah Lesesane (40) block a shot by Rosewood’s Devin Reece. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin senior Brady Byrd chases after a loose ball during play against Rosewood. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin senior Dylan Tyndall, left, attempts a shot against Rosewood’s Joseph Bailey. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Micah Lesesane (40) blocks a shot by Rosewood’s Julius Coltrane during opening-half action. Also defending is the Rebels’ Donovan Armwood (44). (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Luke Kelly, middle, goes up for a shot against Rosewood defenders Julius Coltrane (12) and David Lamm (3). (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin claimed the 2024 Carolina 1A regular-season and tournament championships for the first time since 1994 and seventh time overall since 1975, according to school information provided by athletic director Ricky Edwards. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s seniors stand behind the Carolina 1A regular-season championship trophy. From left are Donovan Armwood, Joey Parrish, Xander Mele, Thomas Morrisey, Brady Byrd and Dylan Tyndall. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
After winning the Carolina 1A tournament title the past two seasons, Rosewood emerged as the 2024 runner-up to North Duplin. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — The pendulum swung in the second quarter.
Underdog Rosewood shaved a double-digit deficit to a single possession.
North Duplin head boys’ basketball coach Jeff Byrd displayed his disappointment while he paced up and down the sideline.
A fiery halftime speech changed everything.
“I had to say a few things,” Byrd said.
His “message” stirred up his team’s emotions.
The Rebels regained their double-digit advantage and claimed the program’s first Carolina 1A Conference tournament crown since 1994 with a convincing 77-55 victory Friday evening.
“That’s just amazing,” Byrd said.
North Duplin led 19-8 early in the second quarter.
The second-seeded Eagles slowly clawed their way back into the contest. They crashed the boards, hustled for loose balls and found a little precision on the offensive end.
Hunter Sasser swished a pair of 3-pointers. Julius Coltrane and Shaw University football signee Micah Cox consistently attacked the basket, which caused the frustrated Rebels to foul.
A technical foul and ejection of a North Duplin play further sparked the run. Coltrane converted the free throws. Joseph Bailey closed the gap to 22-20 with a 3-pointer from the right corner.
The Rebels led 27-25 at halftime.
Byrd wouldn’t elaborate on his “speech” at the break. He and assistant coach Jamie Wallace reminded the team to deny the 3-pointer, and force Rosewood into taking shots inside the arc.
“If they had gotten into a rhythm shooting threes, it would have been hard to catch up,” Byrd said. “We played as good as we could play the second half. Our defense stepped up. We went to man-to-man where we had been playing zone the last 10 weeks … switched it up and that kind of helped us out a little bit.”
Turnovers and missed opportunities on the offensive end troubled the Eagles. They managed to stay within striking distance and trailed 49-38 after three periods.
North Duplin dominated the fourth quarter.
The Rebels’ defensive pressure and board dominance proved the difference. They flourished in transition, collected loose balls and converted free throws to seal the outcome.
Donovan Armwood tossed in 25 points for North Duplin, which extended its win streak to 11 and rose to 15-9 overall this season. Micah Lesesane scratched for 17 points, while DuJuan Armwood chipped in 11.
Sasser and Bailey paced Rosewood with 16 and 12 points, respectively.
“It doesn’t stop here,” Byrd said. “It doesn’t matter who we’ve got in the playoffs, we’ll be at home and that’s an advantage. We just need to keep rolling.”
