Published: 12:00 AM, Tue Feb 23, 2010
Fast start sparks E.E. Smith girls to victory
By Junious Smith III
Correspondent
Jovanah Graham scored 19 points, Avee Hardy added 13, and E.E. Smith defeated New Bern 76-52 in the first round of the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs.
The game, scheduled for 7 p.m., was delayed for almost 75 minutes because New Bern (14-12) didn't find out their playoff destination until about 4 p.m. The Bears got to E.E. Smith's court at 8:05 p.m. to cheers from both sides.
The Golden Bulls (22-1) were tied midway through the first quarter, before closing it on a 14-4 run to take a 22-12 advantage. Then, an 8-2 run to start the second period gave E.E. Smith the momentum needed to roll into halftime with a 44-21 lead.
E.E. Smith was ahead by as many as 43 points before New Bern scored 21 of the last 25 points to make the final score a little tighter. Through the first three quarters, the Bears shot an anemic 29 percent from the field and had 25 turnovers.
"We don't take any team lightly (especially in the playoffs,)" E.E. Smith coach Dee Hardy said. "Records don't matter (around this time) because any team can have a good day and win."
JoJo Jones led New Bern with 12 points while Ty Wallace had 11. For E.E. Smith, Tia Moore was the third Golden Bull in double figures with 11.