Southern Wayne guard Nevaeh Hines-Bass gets fouled by an Orange defender on the way to the basket Tuesday evening. Hines-Bass dropped in both free throws for the Saints. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie, 23, and Orange’s Erin Jordan-Cornell battle for a rebound Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie looks for an open teammate as Orange’s Addison Atkins defends near the Saints’ bench Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne junior center Nygeria Thompson, #25, goes up for a shot against an Orange during their opening-round 3A playoff game Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Nygeria Thompson goes up for two points while an Orange player defends during second-half action Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Orange guard Addison Atkins loses possession of the ball on the baseline while getting pressured by Southern Wayne’s Nevaeh Hines-Bass on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hillsborough Orange controlled the glass during first-half action Tuesday evening. Defending on this play are the Saints’ Nygeria Thompson and Nevaeh Hines-Bass. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie attacks the basket as Orange’s Evelyn George defends during play Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds during a first-round, 58-52 win over Hillsborough Orange in the NC High School Athletic Association 3A playoffs Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hillsborough Orange guard Addison Atkins looks for an open teammate after grabbing a rebound against Southern Wayne’s Nygeria Thompson on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne guard Elaina Lane drives to the basket past Orange’s Addison Atkins during third-quarter action Tuesday evening. Lane eventually dished off the ball to a teammate, which led to a foul. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie eyes the rim during a free throw attempt Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hillsborough Orange guard Evelyn George goes up for two against Southern Wayne defenders Jamaiya Bass and Ta’Niyah Glaspie on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A Hillsborough Orange player gets hemmed in by Southern Wayne’s Ta’Niyah Glaspie and Nygeria Thompson after pulling down a second-half rebound Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Elaina Lane received the pass and dribbled straight into a trap near the Southern Wayne bench.
The whistle blew.Lane drew a foul.
Ricky Lofton let out a huge sigh of relief.
“She wasn’t supposed to have the ball,” the veteran Southern Wayne head coach said. “That ball was supposed to be [passed] between [Jamaiya], Noodle [Ta’Niyah Glaspie] or [Nevaeh] Hines-Bass.”
Lane toed the charity stripe and calmly dropped in two shots.
Seconds later, Hines-Bass drained two free throws and Southern Wayne escaped Hillsborough Orange, 58-52, in round one of the NC High School Athletic Association 3A girls’ basketball playoffs Tuesday evening.
The 13th-seeded Saints (20-7 overall) travel to United 8 Conference champ Cape Fear on Thursday.
“The Lord was looking out for us,” Lofton said. “We need a prayer every now and then. I’m tickled to death that we made it to the second round.”
The victory spoiled the homecoming of Orange head coach BJ Condron, a 1997 alum of Southern Wayne.
His Panthers nearly staged a stunning upset.
Erin Jordan-Cornell’s offensive putback after a missed free throw pushed Orange ahead 48-47. Glaspie scored in transition off an assist from Hines-Bass, but Evelyn George answered with a backdoor layup off an assist from freshman guard Addison Atkins.
Orange wouldn’t lead again.
Hines-Bass converted two free throws and handed off a basket-scoring pass to Nygeria Thompson underneath the basket. Atkins gathered a loose-ball rebound and hit a short floater in the lane.
The Saints led 53-52 and eventually claimed just their second postseason win in nearly two decades, according to information available on the NCHSAA website.
“Elaina hit some tough free throws [and] Hines-Bass hit some tough free throws down at crunch time,” said Lofton, whose team shot a season-best 21 of 29 (72.4 percent) at the stripe.
Southern Wayne missed its first 10 shots from the floor.
Once the Saints warmed up offensively, they bolted to a 20-5 lead.
The 20th-seeded Panthers (14-13) closed to within 33-26 at halftime. An offensive stickback capped an 8-0 run, which gave Orange its first lead, 34-33, since the opening basket of the game.
Atkins sparked the rally with two 3-pointers.
“She was knocking them down and we couldn’t get out there,” Lofton said. “I switched my defense, but they still didn’t recognize the shooter. One thing about us is when we get a big lead, we get lackadaisical. They made a run and we really couldn’t get locked back in until the fourth quarter.
“I just thank God we pulled it out.”
Hines-Bass and the Panthers’ Atkins shared game-high scoring honors with 18 points apiece. Glaspie logged a double-double – 14 points, 12 rebounds. Bass provided 16 points and seven rebounds.
Lane finished with six points and three rebounds. Thompson supplied seven rebounds, four points and four steals.
