Guilford teams win state titles

Senior point guard Kam Langley was named the Charlie Adams 4-A MVP of the game after finishing with 14 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for the SWG Cowboys.

RALEIGH – Southwest Guilford outscored Leesville Road (Raleigh) 22-11 in both the second and third quarters to pull away from the Pride on their way to a 73-49 victory and the Cowboys’ second state championship in men’s basketball.

Cowboy senior guard, Kam Langley, dumped in 14 points with six rebounds on his way to being named the Charlie Adams Most Valuable Player in the championship. Christian Martin added 14 along with six boards. Keyshaun Langley had a team high 15 points and four assists as the sophomore guard was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Cowboys.

Leesville Road briefly opened up a four-point lead early in the game, but after the Cowboys took the lead back with 5:46 to go in the first quarter, the Pride never led again. Jalen Benjamin led all scorers as the Leesville sophomore guard scored 18 points and was a perfect seven for seven from the foul line. Benjamin was named the Pride’s Most Outstanding Player of the game.
Jonathan Mebane was the only other Pride player in double figures with 11 points and four rebounds. Meanwhile Southwest Guilford featured balanced scoring and had four players in double figures with Kobe Langley contributing 10 points and eight boards.

Leesville Road finished the season 22-10 after finishing in a tie for second in the Cap 8 4A with Millbrook at 9-5. The Pride made the school’s second appearance in an NCHSAA State Championship game, winning the regional for the second time in school history and first time since 2001.

Southwest Guilford wrapped up the year 28-3, champions of the Piedmont Triad 4A where they were 9-1 on the season. The Cowboys won their second state championship in school history, the first coming in 1996 when they won the 2A State Championship with a 64-57 victory over Thomasville.

(L-R) Northwest Guilford head coach Darlene Joyner, Lindsey Gauldin, Bria Gibbs, Elizabeth Kitley and Carla King pose with 4-A 2017 NCHSAA championship banner.

RALEIGH – Northwest Guilford is used to close scoring big games, and the experience paid off as the Vikings held off Southeast Raleigh for a hard-fought 36-34 victory. The win was the first state championship victory for the Lady Vikings’ basketball program.

Tamia Davis had a stick-back two with 13 seconds remaining to draw Southeast Raleigh within two late, but the Bulldogs couldn’t get the bucket to tie or take the lead on the final possession as a shot from Tamia Hicks fell short at the final horn.

The two teams battled hard defensively, as Southeast Raleigh outscored Northwest 14-9 in the second quarter to take a five-point lead. Northwest flipped the script in the third, as the Vikings knotted the score up headed to the final frame by outscoring the Bulldogs 9-4 in the third.

Sophomore Elizabeth Kitley had a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds helping her to be named the Kay Yow Most Valuable Player of the game. Her ten rebounds helped give Northwest a 35-30 advantage on the glass.

Cayla King was named Northwest Guilford’s Most Outstanding Player and was the only other Viking in double figures with 16 points. She was 11 of 12 from the free throw line and had seven rebounds to go with three assists and two steals.

Southeast Raleigh was led by Tamia Hicks who scored 13 points to lead the Bulldogs while grabbing four rebounds and blocking three shots. Hicks was named the Bulldogs’ Most Outstanding Player. Jada McMillian was the only other Southeast Raleigh player in double digits with 12 points on the day.

The Bulldogs finished the year at 32-1 and were 14-0 in the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference where they were the champions for the ninth year in a row. They won the school’s fourth Eastern Regional Championship this year.

Northwest Guilford finished the season 30-2 on the year, winners of the Piedmont Triad 4A Conference where they were a perfect 10-0. The Vikings won the Western Regional final for the second straight year and grabbed their first state championship in women’s basketball with the victory.

Elissa Cunane was named the Kay Yow 2017 3-A State Championship game MVP. Cunane finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Northern Guilford. Photo by: Kevin L. Dorsey

CHAPEL HILL – The Northern Guilford Nighthawks returned to the 3A State Championship game for the second year in a row and held on to beat Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg) 66-64, reversing the heartbreak of one year ago and claiming the school’s first women’s basketball state championship.

Northern Guilford trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half as Hickory Ridge came out on fire, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor in the first half. The Lady Bulls led by eight at the intermission.

Northern Guilford regrouped at the half and got an incredible performance from Elissa Cunane who scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to complete her double-double. Cunane was named the Kay Yow Most Valuable Player of the Game. She was one block shy of a triple-double with nine when she fouled out of the game with 1:30 to go and the Nighthawks were up 63-54.

With Cunane out of the game, Deja Neal went to work for the Lady Bulls, scoring six in a 7-0 Hickory Ridge run to cut the Northern advantage to just two with 24 seconds remaining. Northern Guilford got a run-out lay in from Kassie Robakewicz to extend the lead back to four before Neal would trim the lead back to two with a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play at 65-63.
Northern Guilford’s Kelly Lomax converted one of her two free throws with eight seconds to play and when Hickory Ridge’s Nia Daniel was fouled with two seconds to play, she hit the first free throw to trim the Nighthawk lead to two at 66-64. Daniel intentionally missed the second free throw and the Lady Bulls grabbed the rebound but Sydney Miller could not get a shot off as she was stripped by Northern Guilford’s Janelle Henderson to seal the victory and hand the Lady Bulls their first loss of the season.

Robakewicz finished in double figures with 14 points and four rebounds to go with a pair of assists. Mercedes Wampler was also in double figures with 10 points, a pair of assists and two steals. Wampler was named Northern Guilford’s Most Outstanding Performer.

Hickory Ridge had three players in double figures with Gabby Smith leading the way with her 15 points, three rebounds and four steals. Daniel added 13 with nine rebounds and Jiera Shears chipped in 12 points with three steals and a pair of assists.

The Lady Bulls finished the season 31-1, champions of the Southern Piedmont 3A where they went 18-0 in conference. They won the Western Regional for the first time in history and made their first state championship game appearance.

Northern Guilford finished the season 31-1, champions of the Mid-State 3A Conference where they were 16-0. The Nighthawks won the Eastern Regional for the second straight year and claimed their first State Championship in women’s basketball.