Rolesville girls’ basketball holds off Chapel Hill, reaches NCHSAA 4A regional final

Rolesville girls basketball coach Nikita Warren wants her team to be shooting “a thousand.”

The Rams will get to do so thanks to Friday’s 50-44 home win over Chapel Hill in the N.C. 4A state quarterfinals. Rolesville (25-5) will meet Hoggard of Wilmington in Thursday’s semifinals at Winston-Salem’s Lawrence B. Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

As for shooting “a thousand,” Warren was speaking of how the Rams will address — in practice — their 6-for-17 free throw shooting clip Friday. Rolesville, despite making just 3 of 13 fourth quarter foul shots, hung on after Laila Lewis’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Rams a 41-31 lead entering the final period.

“Our main focus is defense,” Warren said. “We’ve just got to stay solid. Chapel Hill did miss a lot of open shots as well, and we were able to secure the rebound.”

The Tigers rallied from a 17-14 deficit after the first quarter by scoring the second period’s first four points — two each by Eva Smith (two separate free throws) and Laynie Smith — for an 18-17 lead. Laynie Smith’s field goal at the 5:28 mark was just one of two field goals for Chapel Hill (25-5) in the period. The Tigers corralled two straight offensive rebounds among three consecutive layup range attempts — all off the mark — near the two-minute mark.

Rolesville used its baseline-to-baseline speed led by guard Caitlyn Jones, who netted six first-quarter field goals for 13 of her game-high 25 points. Chapel Hill managed just five first-half field goals.

The Tigers hung tough and cut the Rams’ 10-point fourth-quarter lead in half, thanks in part to making 5 of 6 free throws in the period. Chapel Hill, paced by Ashton Beale’s 14 points, missed other close range field goals, including second chances, and had untimely turnovers.

Eva Smith (10) and Laynie Smith (11), and Rolesville’s Taliya Rowe (11) also scored in double figures.

Rolesville’s quarterfinal win marked the furthest any Rams girls’ sports team ever has advanced. Rolesville fell (by two points) to Hillside in last season’s state quarterfinals.

“We knew we had some unfinished business to do this season,” Warren said. “I feel like we did a great job of finishing the game and just being strong.”

GREEN LEVEL, PANTHER CREEK BOYS FINISH

Green Level suffered its second loss in 31 starts in a 75-57 road setback at Richmond Senior, last season’s 4A state runner-up. The homestanding Raiders were led by N.C. State signee Paul McNeil with 24 points (four 3-pointers).

Panther Creek, the 2022 4A state runner-up, fell 63-61 at New Hanover.

Richmond and New Hanover will meet Thursday for a berth in next Saturday’s state final. All classifications’ semifinals and finals will be contested next week at Joel Coliseum.

DUKE-BOUND EVANS NETS 48

North Mecklenburg wing Isaiah Evans scored 48 points (six 3-pointers) as the Vikings upended host and reigning 4A state champion Myers Park 79-63. These teams met in last season’s state semifinals.

OTHER ‘BIG FOUR’ NOTES

Signed future “Big Four” athletes will be visible next week in Winston-Salem. Along with Evans and McNeil, Jayden Harris (Wake Forest) helped Salisbury earn a 2A state semifinal berth against Reidsville, last season’s 2A state runner-up.

Among girls, Charlotte Catholic’s Blanca Thomas (North Carolina) and North Pitt’s Zamareya Jones (N.C. State) will compete in the 4A and 2A semifinals, respectively.

Northwood, led by future Tar Heel Drake Powell, concluded its season in Friday’s 77-70 loss at reigning 2A state champion Farmville Central.