PITTSBORO–Natalie Roberson didn’t think twice about diving on the floor for a loose ball.
Maura McMurtry still tried to create as many loose balls as possible.
Kassidy Tolliver remained a consistent presence in the low post.
All the familiar ingredients to its success were still readily apparent for the Orange women’s basketball team in the Big 7 Women’s Tournament championship game.
But Seaforth is Seaforth.
Now in its fifth year as a team, the Seaforth Hawks have never gone a season where they didn’t win a conference championship. That streak won’t end this year.
Katherine Leonard, a senior who has committed to play for Cornell University, scored 26 points as the Hawks never trailed in a 58-33 win over Orange in the Big 7 Women’s Tournament Championship game on Friday night inside Hawks Gymnasium. Seaforth earned its fifth consecutive tournament title, it’s first in the Big 7 after playing the first four years of its existence in the Mid-Carolina Conference.
It was Seaforth’s third win over Orange this season, its second in eight days. On February 12, the Hawks dominated Orange 59-36 to clinch the Big 7 regular season title.
Seaforth (18-7) is 12-0 at home.
From the time Annika Johansson opened the game on a lay-up, the Hawks controlled. It took Orange over five minutes to get on the board with a lay-in by Tolliver. Seaforth led 14-4 at the end of the first quarter and the lead was never below double-figures afterwards.
Tolliver led Orange (17-8) with 17 points. The outside shooting that bolstered Orange to wins over South Granville and Cedar Ridge in the opening two rounds were absent once again against the Hawks. Orange hit just three 3-pointers, all in the second half long after the result had long been decided.
Seaforth’s Ava Kadwell, starting in place of Lariah Rodgers, sank four 3-pointers to finish with 12 points. Senior Mia Moore added ten.
Orange was looking for its first postseason tournament championship since winning the Big 8 Tournament over Northwood in 2017.
Big 7 Men’s Tournament Championship Game: Seaforth 76, South Granville 72 OT
Samir Lewis pumped his legs like pistons waiting for the ball in the corner.
As South Granville’s David dribbled down the floor with the Vikings trailing 67-64 and time running out, he found Lewis just in time. Lewis never hesitated and his 3-pointer found nothing but net as regulation ended.
Lewis was mobbed by his teammate and even a Vikings fan who rushed across the floor and dove into the pile as the Seaforth scorer’s table, his pants slinking to the floor in the process.
Seaforth didn’t win its second conference championship in men’s basketball by folding to adversity. Even after its leading scorer, Declan Lindquist, fouled out with :59 left in regulation.
With Lindquist on the bench, the overtime became a dual between Seaforth senior Campbell Meador and South Granville freshman Brayden Greenup.
Greenup finished with 37 points, but it was Meador who hit the biggest baskets of the game as Seaforth defeated South Granville 76-72 in a classic Big 7 Tournament Men’s Championship game.
It is the first postseason tournament championship for the Hawks, who go into the 5A State Tournament with a 17-6 record.
With the game tied 69-69, Meador drained a go-ahead 3-pointer off a pass from Ty Willoughby with 1:56 left.
Greenup responded by tossing in a 3-pointer from 23-feet away over the Hawks’ 2-3 zone to even it up at 72-72. Greenup blocked a 3-point attempt by Duncan Parker. On the inbounds, Parker drove inside and found Meador, who drained a 20-footer with :44 seconds left to give the Hawks’ a 75-72 lead.
Lewis tried a turnaround 18-footer but missed with :15.2 left. Parker drained a crucial free throw to secure the win.
Patrick Miller finished with ten points for the Hawks. Lindquist finished with nine.
David Hicks and Traveon Hayes each had ten for South Granville (15-10).
