Posters honoring North Duplin’s seniors covered the doorways leading into the gym. Recognized in this pic are Barton College softball signee Kasey Jones, Adaisha Bernal and Xander Miles. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin finished regular-season play with senior night. Honored in this photo are Richard Noble, Eli Morrisey and Coleton Boykin. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Seniors were recognized outside the gym before North Duplin’s regular-season finale including Cole Beavers, Levi George and Ashton Lane. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s junior varsity boys’ basketball team concluded the regular season 17-3 overall and 7-2 against Carolina 1A Conference opposition. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Tev Collins, right, goes after a loose ball during second-half action Hobbton on Friday afternoon. The Rebels defeated the Wildcats, 48-33. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Tev Collins, right, looks for an open teammate during fourth-quarter play against Hobbton on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hobbton guard Ashawn Wynn, a multi-sport athlete, drives to the basket past North Duplin’s Brandon Reyna during first-period action in Calypso on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin seniors Levi George, left, and Richard Noble, right, try to stop Hobbton’s Bennet Darden from scoring underneath the basket on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin head JV boys coach Nick Nielsen talks with a player on the bench during final-period play against Hobbton on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Lily Brothus (35) battles for rebound position against a Hobbton defender Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com|
North Duplin’s Meghan Martin, with ball, finds trouble scoring against Hobbton on Friday evening. Martin was knocked to the floor on the play, but no foul was called. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Meghan Martin, with ball, finds trouble scoring against Hobbton on Friday evening. Martin was knocked to the floor on the play, but no foul was called. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A total of 11 seniors were honored Friday evening. Shown here are posters of photos for Ashton Lane and Billy McCoy. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Adaisha Bernal, a multi-sport athlete, works to get rebounding position against a Hobbton defender Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Karli Schoolcraft was the lone senior cheerleader recognized Friday evening before tip-off the varsity boys’ basketball game. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hobbton guard Colby Weeks, who also played quarterback in football, pushes the ball upcourt against North Duplin defender Levi George on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s tandem of Cole Beavers (12) and Ashton Lane (24) attempt to trap Hobbton’s Ashawd Wynn during their Carolina 1A game in Calypso on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Reece Outlaw, left, and Addy Higginbotham, right, tie up a Hobbton player that leads to a jump ball during opening-half action Friday evening. The Rebels rolled 56-29 and finished 10-0 against Carolina 1A teams this season. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Scorebook in hand, Jeff Byrd stepped into the cool night air. “We battled … we’ve battled hard all season,” said the second-year North Duplin head varsity boys’ basketball coach after a 65-52 loss to Hobbton on Friday evening.
Their record doesn’t reflect the Rebels’ effort.
North Duplin filed a 2-8 worksheet against Conference Carolinas opposition, but could have easily finished .500 for the second consecutive year.
They nearly got league win No. 3.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Eli Morrisey and Brady Byrd closed the gap to single digits with four minutes left in regulation.
Hobbton answered with a quick run and swept the regular-season series. The Wildcats have won three straight in the series and 19 of 29 meetings overall since 2008.
“These kids have battled all year, they’ve played hard,” Byrd said. “They hurt us on rebounds and got some easy baskets on our press because we didn’t get back. They’ve got a good basketball team. They’ve got size.
“We struggled shooting the ball. When you don’t score, you can’t set your defense up. I thought the second half we played a little better defense.”
Seniors Richard Noble and Eli Morrisey tallied 12 points apiece for the Rebels, who concluded regular-season play 7-14 overall. Trashawn Ruffin collected seven points, while senior Levi George scored six.
Noble, Morrisey, George, Billy McCoy, Ashton Lane, Brady Byrd, Xander Myles, Cole Beavers and Coleton Boykin competed in their final home contest.
“Our seniors have set a little trend [and] turned the corner a little bit,” said coach Byrd.
The fifth-seeded Rebels face Lakewood in quarterfinal-round play of the 2023 Carolina Conference tournament, which begins Tuesday at Hobbton. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
Girls
Addy Higginbotham grabbed the coach’s clipboard and drew a big “W” — kind of appropriate for a team that’s tasted defeat on just three occasions in its last 44 outings on the hardwood.
An automatic qualifier to the state playoffs, North Duplin put the finishing touches on an unbeaten regular-season conference campaign with a 56-29 throttling of Hobbton.
The Rebels seized command 21-4 after one quarter.
From there, head coach John Oliver substituted liberally and gave all 15 players game time. Nine scratched in the scorebook, led by sophomore Tateyawna Faison, who logged a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Reece Outlaw provided 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Backcourt mate Addy Higginbotham supplied five points four assists, four assists and two steals.
Barton College softball signee and senior Kasey Jones logged three points, six rebounds and two assists. Fellow senior Adaisha Bernal pulled down two rebounds.
Lily Brothus supplied eight points off the bench, while Eva Quintanilla registered four points. Meghan Martin cleaned the glass for seven rebounds and doled out two assists. Lilly Fulghum contributed two points and six rebounds.
North Duplin (19-1, 10-0) drew an opening-round bye for the season-ending conference tournament. The Rebels play either Rosewood or Neuse Charter in semifinal-round play Wednesday at Hobbton. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
JV boys
North Duplin’s JV built a 15-point halftime lead and never relinquished that advantage during its 48-33 conquest of Hobbton.
Branson Martin paced a balanced Rebels offense with 13 points. Tev Collins tallied 12 points, followed by Ben Bullard with nine. Rahmear Gates and Luke Kelly delivered six points apiece.
Directed by head coach Nick Nielsen, North Duplin concluded the year 17-3 overall and 7-2 in conference play.
