In NC high school basketball playoffs, Panther Creek among several top-seeded winners
Panther Creek forward Logan Ware didn’t need to score a single fourth-quarter point to put the exclamation point on the Catamounts’ 90-55 win over visiting Pine Forest of Fayetteville in Tuesday’s NCHSAA 4A boys basketball playoffs opening round contest.
Ware’s emphatic two-handed slam before the third quarter buzzer cemented his team-high 17 points and a 26-point home team advantage entering the final eight minutes. No. 13 Panther Creek (19-7), the 2022 state runner-up, will visit No. 4 Garner in Thursday’s second round.
The Catamounts held a 14-9 lead after the first period thanks to Amari Richardson’s buzzer-beating bank shot. That lead reached double digits early in the second quarter, and Panther Creek proceeded ahead with full steam. The Catamounts led 39-26 at halftime, and outscored the Trojans in each quarter, including a game high 26-points in the final stanza.
Ware was among four Panther Creek double figures scorers along with Chris Uwayo (17), Caleb Surgers (11), and Richardson (10). The Catamounts converted six three-pointers, and shot 80 percent from the free throw line.
Panther Creek’s scoring total marked its season best, and was one more point than the Catamounts scored in a January 13 home loss to Southwest Wake league rival Holly Springs. The Catamounts have won a state playoff game in six consecutive seasons.
Pine Forest (15-12) was paced by a game high 18 points from Xayden Watson (seven-of-eight free throws), while Trojans teammate Howard Herbert added 17 (three three-pointers).
Around the region
No. 24 Broughton was the lone early-bracket underdog in Eastern 4A boys’ tournament to win on the road in Tuesday’s first round action, posting a 60-52 win over No. 9 Overhills. With the win, Broughton advances to face No. 8 Cardinal Gibbons, which also won its opener on Tuesday, a 71-57 victory over D.H. Conley.
Other seeded winners in the 4A East boys’ bracket Tuesday included No. 3 Millbrook, No. 5 Holly Springs, No. 6 Jordan, No. 14 Hillside, No. 15 Sanderson, and No. 16 Wake Forest.
In 3A East boys, Northern Nash, Rocky Mount, East Wake and Southern Durham were among the winners.
In the 4A girls’ bracket, top-seeded Hillside of Durham posted a convincing 61-13 win over New Hanover to kick off its playoff campaign. The Hornets will host No. 16 Wakefield in the second round.
Other higher-seeded area winners in 4A girls Tuesday included No. 3 Panther Creek, No. 4 Millbrook, No. 5 Cardinal Gibbons, No. 7 Willow Spring, No. 11 Apex Friendship, No. 12 Rolseville, and No. 15 Chapel Hill.
No. 20 Holly Springs upended No. 13 Topsail, 64-40 to advance into the second round, and No. 23 Athens Drive pulled out the upset over No. 10 Pinecrest, 51-37.
Tournament action continues Thursday with higher-seeded teams hosting second-round matchups.
This story was originally published February 22, 2023 at 10:43 AM.