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Lady Mustangs to compete for state title Saturday
By Carey Phillips
Smoky Mountain’s women’s basketball team has one more mountain to climb in its quest to become state 2-A champions.
The final hurdle is the state’s top-ranked team, Graham (31-1).
The teams will meet in a noon showdown Saturday at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.
The Lady Mustangs (29-2), are ranked third in the state. They defeated second-ranked East Davidson and fourth-ranked Salisbury in the Western Regionals last weekend.
The teams appear to play similar up tempo styles with pressing offenses and fast break defenses.
Smoky Mountain’s women’s basketball team is heading to Chapel Hill after defeating East Davidson 66-52 in Saturday’s Western Regional finals. The Lady Mustangs will meet Graham at noon Saturday, March 10, in the state 2-A championship game at the Smith Center. Team members include, from left: Paige Brooks, Cayla Cucumber (all-tournament), Amy Haggard, Kelli Woodard, Cetera DeGraffenreid (most valuable player), Jenna Carpenter, Brandi Anders, Ashley Robinson (all-tournament), Brittany Gilbert, Jordan Mason, Tasha Junaluska, Kelly Childress, Laury Brown and Kayla Cooper. – Herald photo by Carey Phillips
“We seem to have a lot of similarities,” SM Coach Cindi Simmons said. “It will be a lot of fun to play a team like that. We’ll have to handle their pressure. They have a lot of quickness and have a post player who runs the floor very well.”
The Lady Mustangs will rely on All-American senior point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid, who is averaging 27.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.7 steals and 9.8 assists.
She was named most valuable player of last weekend’s Western Regionals.
Sophomore center Ashley Robinson averages 13.2 points and was named to the all-tournament team.
Senior forward Amy Haggard averages 10.2 points.
Completing the starting lineup are senior forward Kelli Woodard, a strong interior defender, and sophomore guard Tasha Junaluska, a three-point specialist.
Junior forward Cayla Cucumber came off the bench to earn all-regional honors.
SM is the Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions.
Graham won the Mid-State Conference title and was undefeated entering the league tournament before being upset 63-60 by Orange.
Graham Coach Kyle Ward said that loss may have refocused his team.
“We won most of our games by double digits,” he said. “They kind of let down toward the end of the (regular) season.”
Ward said his leader is senior guard Nikki Wilborn, who tops the team in scoring at 11.8 points.
“She’s been through the bad times, and now she’s going to play for a state championship,” he said.
The Lady Devils missed the playoffs her first two years and were eliminated by eventual state champion Farmville Central in the first round last year. They avenged that loss by knocking off Farmville in the first round this season.
Despite the lack of recent playoff success, Ward is not surprised to see his team in Chapel Hill.
“I had expected to hopefully make it this far,” he said.
Sophomore center Courdne Miles, was the MVP of the Eastern Regionals. She averages 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.
The starting lineup also includes junior forwards Antinia Day and Simone Robinson and sophomore guard Beth Miller.
“We’ve had a balanced scoring attack all year,” Ward said. “My top nine players average four or more points. In the last 15 games, a different player has stepped up.”
He said the presence of DeGraffenreid, a North Carolina signee, would not change his team’s strategy.
“We’re going to go up and down the floor,” he said. “I’ve heard DeGraffenreid is a one-man press breaker, but we’re not going to change.”
In their only other state title appearance, the Lady Mustangs lost 48-43 to West Carteret in 1994. Although it’s been 13 years, Simmons said she would draw on her experience from that trip to help prepare her team.
One difference is that game followed an emotional last second win in the regional finals while the Lady Mustangs were 66-52 winners in the regionals this year.
“Anytime you have an emotional game, you have to get everybody back together,” she said.
Graham had an even easier time in the Eastern Regionals by blasting Whiteville 86-48 Saturday.
“They have been ranked number one most of the year,” DeGraffenreid said Saturday night when she learned who the next opponent would be. “It’s going to be fun being in an underdog role.”
When she heard the final score of 86-48, DeGraffenreid smiled and said, “That’s cool.”
Simmons will be trying to keep her team focused despite the inevitable off-the-court distractions and excitement around school.
“There will be a lot of excitement,” the coach said. “That’s one thing you have to try to control. You don’t want to be satisfied with just being here. We want to stay focused and make the most of the opportunity.”
The Smith Center doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $10 at the gate and $9 on pre-sale at the school.
Fans leaving the arena for any reason must pay to re-enter.
To reach the Smith Center, take the N.C. 54 exit off I-40/I-85 just east of Burlington. Follow 54 East until the road becomes U.S. 15-501 North. Turn left off 15-501 onto Manning Drive. Turn left onto Skipper Bowles Drive.
Pass the Smith Center and parking is available at the Bowles Lot. Parking is also available at the Manning Lot just off 15-501 or at the Craig Deck farther up Manning Drive. The parking fee is $5.
Parking at the Ramshead Deck behind the East end zone of Kenan Stadium is $1.25 per hour, but that is a longer walk.
A fan bus will leave the school at 5 a.m. Saturday and return after the game. The $30 cost includes a game ticket. Those riding should arrive by 4:45 a.m. Money should be taken to Linda Haggard in Building A Room 5 by Friday morning.
A send-off for the team is planned to start at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Organizers want people to line N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 Business from about 8:30-8:40 a.m. to wish the players good luck.
For more information, call the school at 586-2177.
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