FAYETTEVILLE — Jayda Angel just couldn’t be stopped.
The junior shooting guard torched the nets for 39 points and helped lead Cape Fear past Southern Wayne, 75-49, in round two of the NC High School Athletic Association 3A girls’ basketball playoffs.
Angel converted 15 field goals and shot 9 of 13 from the stripe.
The fourth-seeded Colts (23-4 overall) led by two after the opening quarter. They extended their advantage to 10 by halftime and eventually galloped to their 18th consecutive victory.
Saints point guard Nevaeh Hines-Bass, a sophomore, knocked down 21 points before fouling out. Senior forward Jamaiya Bass provided 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Senior forward Ta’Niyah Glaspie contributed eight points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two assists. Junior center Nygeria Thompson collected 11 rebounds, scored four points and blocked three Cape Fear shots.
Bass, Glaspie, guard Elaina Lane and reserve Juliana Pierre-Louis played their final game in a Saints uniform.
It’s a quartet head coach Ricky Lofton is going to miss.
The foursome helped Southern Wayne (20-8) claim the 2023 Quad County 3A tournament crown and advance to the postseason for the second consecutive year. During their four years, the group compiled 65 wins, including 38 against QCC and Eastern Carolina 3A-4A opposition.
They made a total of three playoff trips.
“[Our success] piggybacks off last year because we did everything so easy,” said Lofton, whose team finished 23-1 overall – the program’s best campaign since the Gaynor O’Donnell era in Dudley.
“This year, our girls had to work for everything. I told them you will appreciate more this year than what you did last year. This year, you put the work in, played hard and that’s what they see.
“Nothing was easy any more. They had to fight.”
And they reset the standard for Lady Saints hoops.
