Nash Central girls upset Rocky Mount, boys top Gryphons for Big East 3A basketball tournament titles
Friday night turned out to be championship night for Nash Central.
Although neither team entered the Big East 3A Conference basketball tournament as regular season champion, the Bulldogs girls and boys are this year’s tournament champions. Both teams defeated Rocky Mount in the finals, played at Southern Nash.
The girls, coached by Terri Cash, knocked off the top-seeded Gryphons 52-49, while the boys ended the Gryphons’ boys season, 55-47.
After her team’s win, Cash rushed back to the court to watch her son, Montre’ Cash, lead the Bulldogs to the title. Montre’, a senior, was named the boys tournament Most Valuable Player.
“Winning this tournament this year was one of our goals,” Montre’ said. “This is a big thing for us and mom got her win, too. I’m so proud of her.
GIRLS
Rocky Mount’s girls (19-3) will still enter the state tournament with the league’s top seed. The Gryphons went 10-0 in regular season conference play, but Nash Central (16-8) did beat Rocky Mount in a Christmas tournament.
Central’s trio of guards, Michaela Nelms (14 points), Kayalin Mitchell (14), and Myia Spivey (12), sparked the team to a third quarter rally that changed a 26-18 deficit into a 39-35 lead. Although Rocky Mount rallied to take a 49-47 lead, Spivey hit a 3-pointer with 57 seconds to play and Central held on for the win.
“We knew we could win after beating them earlier,” said Nelms, the tournament MVP, who has signed with Central Florida. “We knew we could do it and it gives us confidence heading into the state tournament.”
Coach Cash also pointed to the defensive play of Carisha Leonard and Anna Shaye Thompson. Leonard and Nelms each won individual indoor track and field titles last week.
“We lost a really good player Robbi Allen to a torn ACL in the first game” Cash said. “Losing her was huge and we had to find some new identities on the court.”
For Rocky Mount, guard Michelle Gainey scored 18 and 5-foot-9 senior post player Keyanna Spivey, a state champion in the shot put, poured in 25 and just missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the game.
“Keyanna just competes so hard,” Gryphons coach Pam Gainey said. “We need someone else to pick up on the scoring to go with those two, or we’ll be back home in a hurry from the playoffs.”
BOYS
Winning the conference tournament was a goal that Montre’ Cash and his coach, Renny Taylor, both talked about.
“We were co-champs in the regular season last year and didn’t make the tournament finals,” Taylor said. “So this year we wanted this tournament.”
Northern Nash has the league’s top seed for the state playoffs and Central (17-6) is second.
Rocky Mount (10-12) likely had to win the conference tournament to make the state playoffs and upset Northern Nash, but couldn’t stay with the quicker Bulldogs.
“We were searching for people to make things happen and we never really got it going this year,” Gryphons coach Michael Gainey said.
Cash, Devon Macklin, and Elijah Cole are three senior guards that Rocky Mount found itself chasing while the Bulldogs held the lead most of the game.
“Even when people pressure us I feel good about that, because they can handle the ball,” Taylor said. “And I like to see the ball in Montre’s hands. It seems he and I are always on the same page offensively.”
Cash scored 15, but did much more than that with his dribbling a passing. Dominick added 14 for the winners.
“We started the second half holding Rocky Mount to just 2 points over the first five minutes. We played great defense during that stretch,” Young said.
This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Nash Central girls upset Rocky Mount, boys top Gryphons for Big East 3A basketball tournament titles."