Published: 12:34 AM, Sat Feb 27, 2010
Uncharacteristic errors derail E.E. Smith girls
In a tight game that went down to the wire, E.E. Smith's girls forced the turnover they needed right near the end.
Then the Golden Bulls threw the ball right back to Southeast Raleigh.
Uncharacteristic unforced errors like that one are why Southeast Raleigh escaped a rowdy Smith gym with a 52-46 win Friday. The loss in the Class 4-A sectional finals ended the Mid-South regular-season and tournament champion's season at 23-2 overall.
Now, the young team Golden Bulls coach Dee Hardy described as a "sisterhood" has to say goodbye to four key seniors.
"We talked in the locker room (after the game), and we gave the girls the opportunity to speak to each other," Hardy said. "The one thing all the girls said is we really liked each other."
This was evident in Smith's play this season. The team was second in the county averaging 16.1 assists per game, but Southeast Raleigh (23-4) never allowed an offense putting up 67.4 points per contest to get in rhythm.
The Bulldogs' gritty play kept the Golden Bulls out on the perimeter, forcing them to earn every basket. Smith got enough points to be within 46-44 with 46.4 seconds remaining, but one sequence ended up being the difference.
Southeast Raleigh inbounded the ball only to have it stolen away. The Golden Bulls tried to hit a player streaking to the basket, but the pass was intercepted and they were forced to foul.
With the Bulldogs shooting a perfect 4 of 4 from the foul line, the clock ran out on Smith's 21-game win streak. The team's only other loss came in its third contest of the season, a 58-56 setback to Overhills.
Ahead 23-22 at halftime, Smith never found an answer for Southeast Raleigh's April McRae. The 6-foot-1 junior finished the night with 14 points and 12 rebounds, six of those points coming in the fourth quarter after the Golden Bulls held her scoreless in the third.
Teammate Brittany Holloway's speed and strong ball handling also kept Smith from getting the turnovers and easy transition buckets that fueled its offense all season long. She finished with 15 points, and Demesha Peebles rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures with 10.
"We worked with (McRae) in mind all week," Hardy said. "We felt that the other matchups were pretty even, but we had to be sure to execute defensively so she didn't have a big night inside."
Guard Tia Moore, one of the the Golden Bulls' seniors, did all she could to keep her team in the game. She had a couple highlight-reel plays, spinning to the basket for layups. She finished with 10 points, and forward Jovanah Graham did plenty of hard work inside to finish with 11.
These efforts weren't enough with Southeast Raleigh committing five fewer turnovers and grabbing six more rebounds. The Bulldogs also hit all three 3-point attempts, and Smith finished 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Hardy did take solace in the fact that most of her squad will return next season after gaining some valuable postseason experience. The Golden Bulls hadn't been past the second round of the state playoffs the past three years.
"They'll definitely come back with some unfinished business," Hardy said.
Staff writer Paul Shugar can be reached at shugarp@fayobserver.com or 486-3513.Southeast Raleigh 52, E.E. Smith 46
SE Raleigh 7 15 15 15 - 52
E.E. Smith 9 14 13 10 - 46
SOUTHEAST RALEIGH - Bell 0, Demesha Peebles 10, Gardner-Rand 3, Daniels 0, Brittany Holloway 15, Giddens 4, Moore 6, April McRae 14.
E.E. SMITH - Whitaker 9, Tia Moore 10, Hardy 7, Bazemore 0, McMillion 5, Jovanah Graham 11, Smith 4.
Fouled out: None.
Technical fouls: None.
3-point goals: SR - Peebles 1, Moore 2. EES - Whitaker 1.
Highlights: SR - McRae 12 rebounds. EES - McMillion 9 rebounds.
Records: Southeast Raleigh 23-4, E.E. Smith 23-2.