2A Girls Championship Preview: Salisbury vs. East Bladen

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By Ronnie Gallagher

rgallagher@salisburypost.com

When East Bladen lost the 1A state championship to Bishop McGuinness in 2009, coach Patty Evers didn't sulk.

She just looked toward 2010.

Knowing her school was moving up to 2A due to realignment, she bought a copy of the 2A title game, won by Salisbury.

Salisbury coach Andrew Mitchell met Evers at a press conference in Raleigh on Monday, and Evers told him that story.

"She let me in on the fact she had one on us," Mitchell smiled. "They know a lot about us. They followed us all year long."

Evers was right in thinking a year ago that Salisbury would again be playing for the 2A championship. Now, her undefeated Eagles try to prevent a Hornet repeat when the teams meet today at noon in N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum.

East Bladen (29-0) has been here before, three times in the last four years, to be exact, although it's still looking for its first crown. Evers coaches one of the premier girls programs in the state. The Eagles have made eight straight sectional finals and played in five straight regionals.

"I understand why they're good," Mitchell said. "They lose three or four players a year, and they just reload. They have a good coach, good players and a really good tradition."

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One Eagle stands out: leading scorer Courtney Melvin.

All 6-foot-2, 240 pounds of her.

"She's a big lady," Mitchell said.

Melvin dominated inside all season, scoring 23.9 points per game and hauling down 11.6 rebounds.

"They make a point of getting her the ball," Mitchell said. "There's a lot of pick and rolls. They pass, pass, pass until they get it to her. Hopefully, we can contain her."

The Hornets will use two strategies.

First, harass the ballhandlers.

"We'll have to pressure their guards and keep them off-balanced," Mitchell explained. "We want them to take quick shots."

That means Salisbury's quick guards, led by Western Regional MVP Bubbles Phifer, along with twins Ashia Holmes and Ayanna Holmes, need to create havoc defensively.

Secondly, Mitchell has a plan if Melvin does get ball near the basket.

"We have four post players," he said, referring to 6-1 Olivia Rankin, 6-0 Jessica Heilig, 5-10 Isis Miller and 6-2 Eboni Feamster. "We've got 20 fouls, and we'll use them. If she scores at will, it will be from the free-throw line."

And if they all foul out?

"If we have to, we'll put a guard on her and let her use up her five," he grinned.

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Mitchell is quick to point out what happens if a team focuses too much on Melvin. Point guard Jazmine Kemp will beat you.

Just ask Northside, which was unbeaten going into the sectional final. Kemp scored 22 points in the Eagles' win.

Just ask Burlington Cummings, which held Melvin to 12 points in the Eastern Regional final. But Kemp scored 20 in an MVP performance.

For the season, the 5-9 Kemp averages 12 points and 4.4 assists.

"She's an outstanding athlete," Mitchell said. "She's so talented that she's a point guard on offense and a power forward on defense."

Melvin and Kemp are part of a strong junior class that also includes third-leading scorer Janet Hatcher, a 5-7 guard, and Nyieshia Murchison, a 5-2 passer who matches Kemp with four assists per game.

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It's appropriate that these two teams are meeting for the title. Salisbury finished the regular season as the state's No. 1-ranked team. East Bladen was second.

Both teams started strong. East Bladen routed its first four opponents by an average of 33 points, which sounds impressive until you realize Salisbury beat is first four foes by an average of 47.

East Bladen held 10 teams under 30 points, which sounds impressive until you realize Salisbury held 16 teams under 30.

This is the fourth state title appearance in seven years for the Hornets, who defeated Southern Vance in 2004, lost to Farmville Central in overtime in 2006 and defeated Graham last season in Mitchell's first campaign at Salisbury.

He said he has conducted a normal practice schedule this week. The Hornets have gone to Catawba to get acclimated to the longer floor. Last night, he planned walk-throughs and a relaxing night of a movie and pizza.

"It's the last game of the year," Mitchell said. "There's nothing else we can teach them. They're excited."

Mitchell is 2-for-2 in reaching the state final, but he is not taking it for granted.

"This happens every once in a while," he said. "I'm taking it all in. I've been on the losing side, so I'm thankful to be at this point."

And with that, it was back to watching film on East Bladen.

Mitchell may have been watching the future. While he loses just one starter in Phifer, there are no seniors in East Bladen's starting lineup.

So perhaps he should take a page out of Evers book and keep today's championship tape.

It may come in handy next year.