Millbrook girls get it done

RALEIGH -- It was the first complete game Millbrook girls basketball coach Chris East thought his team had played all year, and his team shot 27.3 percent from the field.

But a championship is a championship, and the Wildcats (12-1) slugged one out in the MIX-101.5 FM bracket for a 32-23 win over Southeast Raleigh (9-1).

The game set a girls Glaxo record: fewest combined points in one game.

Not that sophomore center Briana Day, the tournament MVP, cared about style points. After battling the other team's best post player in each round, her defense and boxing out of Southeast's Aprill McRae was pivotal in holding the Bulldogs to a paltry 15.4 percent shooting.

"They're bigger than me. I'm a little skinny stick," the slender Day said. "So I just had to focus on playing good solid 'D.' When you play girls your size, it's not easy."

Day was the only Millbrook player to earn All-Glaxo honors, perhaps a testament to the team's all-around performance. In the first game, Alex Tomlinson took over. The forwards were instrumental in the semifinals.

In the championship game, everyone chipped in.

"Today, I really didn't score that much," Tomlinson said. "I think it was balanced all the way through."

Southeast's McRae and guard Demesha Peebles, who had a game-high 13 points, were named all-tournament.

"I'm not mad at the loss; I'm mad at how we lost. We didn't play our game," Southeast coach Nicole Myers said. "But I'd rather lose now than in March. As long as we learn something from this, this loss is not in vain."

Also Thursday

Middle Creek 62, Enloe 43: Middle Creek (8-4) beat Enloe (6-6) at its own game as the Mustangs buried seven 3-point field goals en route to a third-place Glaxo finish.

Enloe, already owning tournament records for 3-pointers made in a single game and the first two rounds, hit five more to tie Northern Durham for a Glaxo record with 18 3s.

All-Glaxo selection Amber Battle blocked six shots, giving her 13 overall for a tournament record. Enloe's Dana Brown was also named All-Glaxo as she finished third in total points scored.

Northern Durham 51, Clayton 36: Win or lose, Northern Durham (9-2) put on a clinic for offensive execution for most of the Glaxo, and they did the former in the fifth-place game against Clayton (8-3).

Northern set a record for most assists in one girls Glaxo game with 23 and had the top three assist leaders in the tournament. Northern also matched Enloe with 18 3-pointers in the three-day tournament.

Northern's Ashante Richard and Tyler Holloway were named All-Glaxo, as was Clayton's Vernessa Hinnant.

Cary Christian 50, Western Harnett 46: The tournament's most outstanding player was hardly in question after Dakota Dukes piled up 30 points and 17 rebounds for Cary Christian (7-4) against Western Harnett (9-3) in the seventh-place game.

It was Dukes' third double-double. She shattered two-day Glaxo records for points (77) and rebounds (52). She even led the tournament in steals (12). Western Harnett's Ariel Bursey finished second on the tournament scoring list with 59 points and was named to the All-Glaxo team.

Correspondent Tom Shanahan contributed to this report.