Southeast Raleigh girls check all the boxes in win over Jordan in 4A East Region playoffs
This season’s Southeast Raleigh girls basketball team appears to check all the boxes of its recent juggernauts.
The Bulldogs defeated Durham Jordan 85-54 on Saturday in the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A East Region with their usual mix of talent, depth and X’s and O’s from Nicole Meyers, their longtime coach who is dedicated to developing her players on and off the court.
Top-seeded Southeast Raleigh (25-1) advanced to Tuesday night’s fourth round with its 14th consecutive victory. The Bulldogs’ only loss was in the final of the John Wall Tournament on Dec. 28 to an out-of-state opponent, Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy.
Ninth-seeded Jordan, the Triangle 8 co-champion, finished with a 23-5 record.
As for SER’s talent, the Bulldogs’ two fourth-year varsity players with scholarships are forward/center Anya Poole, who is committed to North Carolina, and guard Jamia Hazell, who is committed to James Madison. Hazell led the team in scoring with 19 points, and Poole added 12.
As for depth, five players scored in double figures, including two off the bench. Starter Morgan Graham scored 14, and backups Mikayla Harris and Tamsi Enchendu added 14 and 12, respectively.
In all, the substitutes totaled 29 points. The backups had 17 points at intermission, so the overall contribution was about more than the bench capitalizing on late playing time.
But another box to check is the balance that past SER teams lacked, at least compared with this team. The playoffs are still a long grind, but maybe versatility will be the element to get the Bulldogs over the hump of losing in the state final the past three years in a row and five of the past six.
The offense isn’t as likely to turn stagnant against an elite opponent, especially in crunch time of the playoffs, when relying on one or two players.
SER demonstrated that strength, especially against Jordan’s physical play. Although the score was one-sided, Jordan wasn’t intimidated or backing down while pressing the Bulldogs.
Hazell, sophomore Bobbi Smith and senior Destini Abramson-Lee worked together to get the ball up the court.
“Bobbi, Dez, me, and everybody, we can all rotate with each other and play a part with the ballhandling,” Hazell said. “We work on that. That goes back to practice. We push each other. We practice defense with teams all up on us.”
Another facet Jordan couldn’t handle was the number of players Southeast Raleigh can get out on the break. The 6-foot-2 Poole hasn’t been limited to an inside role this season.
With Graham (5-11), Smith (5-10) and others also getting rebounds, Poole was able to release on fast breaks. She had three easy first-half layups ahead of the Jordan defense.
“We are a close team that spends a lot of time together,” Hazell said. “We’re big on team chemistry. We all bring something to the table. We’re like sisters that always have each others’ back.”
Jordan had three players finish in double figures as senior Ashuanti Parker scored 13 points, junior Nia Howard 11 and sophomore Ayisa Hinton 10.
Although Southeast Raleigh was playing well from the start, Jordan kept the score within 12-7 midway through the first quarter. But the Bulldogs kept coming in waves and outscored the Falcons 9-2 over a three-minute stretch for a 21-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. A 10-0 second-quarter run contributed to a 42-21 halftime advantage.
“One thing about this team that differs from others we have had is balance,” Meyers sad. “In the past we missed shooters. We didn’t shoot that much from the outside today (only one 3-pointer), but we have that balance that people have to respect.
“The chemistry on this team has been there from the beginning. They truly get along outside of the basketball and that translates to the chemistry they have on the court.”
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Southeast Raleigh girls check all the boxes in win over Jordan in 4A East Region playoffs."