NC high school basketball playoffs roundup: Millbrook rallies; Panther Creek sweeps
Among Saturday’s N.C. 4A boys’ basketball state playoffs’ third round games, Panther Creek won 73-69 at Apex Friendship, while reigning state champion Millbrook rallied from 13 down at Jordan before prevailing 66-59.
Tuesday, Millbrook coach Christopher Davis and Panther Creek coach Shawan Robinson will meet, again, 21 years later with the same goal in sight.
In 2001, Robinson was a starting guard for Leesville Road, the eventual N.C. 4A state runner-up. Davis was a Pride assistant coach for head coach Darryl Robinson, Shawan’s father. The elder Robinson, like always, will be an assistant coach for his son when the Catamounts visit the Davis-led Wildcats in Tuesday’s first Eastern regional (state quarterfinal) round.
Panther Creek will participate in the regional round for the first time since 2014. The Catamounts are seeking their first state quarterfinals win.
Something will give
The Southwest Wake 4A girls did the very best they could. Now, one team will see its season end Tuesday. Apex Friendship — a 59-23 third-round winner over visiting Conley (Greenville) —– will host Green Level, which won 38-32 at Hoggard (Wilmington).
Panther Creek, the third remaining Southwest Wake 4A Conference school and a 71-61 winner Saturday at Hillside, will visit Millbrook, which survived Garner, 67-65.
Green Level defeated Apex Friendship 50-40 on February 11. The Patriots, though, played that game without leading scorer and playmaker Indya Nivar (a Stanford signee and McDonalds All-American).
Nivar, who matched her jersey number with 12 points in Saturday’s win, needs five points for 2,000 in her career.
Northwood back to the coast
Northwood won 74-38 at First Flight Saturday. The Charger boys will return to West Carteret (a 78-63 winner over visiting Southern Durham), whom Northwood defeated on the road to advance last season’s 3A state final.
Cleveland makes history
The Cleveland boys advanced to their first state quarterfinals with a 49-40 win Saturday at Conley. Cleveland, in its first year of 4A competition, will travel to top seeded Richmond County (which survived Pine Forest-Fayetteville 70-63 in overtime Saturday.
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 10:05 PM.
