Holly Springs sweeps Apex Friendship boys and girls basketball

Senior night was a fine one on the Holly Springs hardwood Friday night.

The host Golden Hawks swept Apex Friendship in style, capturing the girls game 73-45 and the boys game 62-50.

The girls wrapped up the regular season tied for third with Cary in the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference by finishing 12-4 in league play (17-6 overall). A draw or a playoff game will be decided upon on Saturday for seeding for the upcoming North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Guard Jada Kearney had 11 of her 19 points in a 15-0 first-quarter run to lead the Hawks. Junior forward Samantha Weaver added 18 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

The Patriots wrapped up their second season with a 7-17 overall mark, 2-14 in the SWAC. Melina Pacifico scored a layup with 6:08 left in the first for their lone lead, while guard Camryn Lunsford had 13 points, six assists and four steals.

“You see the progression in our young players,” Friendship coach Scott Campbell said. “We have a period of the game where we get a little shell-shocked still. And we don’t right the ship.”

On the boys side, the Hawks (3-21, 2-14) were led by senior shooting guard Jake Kelsey’s 21 points (including five 3-pointers). Guard R.J. Brown had 15 points.

Holly Springs trailed 29-27 after a 3-pointer by Patriots’ guard Jayden Beloti to open the second half, but then went on a 14-2 tear to pull away for good.

Apex Friendship (1-23, 0-16) hit just 8 of 21 free throws and got no closer than eight the rest of the way.

“We’ve hit them well all year,” AF head coach P.J. Lowman said. “It was a bad night to have an off night. We really needed them.”

Beloti had 14 points and guard Taylor Nelson had 16.

This story was originally published February 11, 2017 at 12:48 AM with the headline "Holly Springs sweeps Apex Friendship boys and girls basketball."