'Gonna be a battle': Cape Fear girls basketball, E.E. Smith to meet in NCHSAA playoffs
Fayetteville’s dream matchup in the top half of the NCHSAA 3A East girls basketball playoff bracket will become a reality Tuesday.
Cape Fear (24-4), the No. 4 seed, will travel to top-seeded E.E. Smith (26-1) to play for a spot in the regional championship on March 4.
“It’s gonna be a battle. It should be a barnburner,” Cape Fear coach Brian Graham said Saturday after the Colts’ 59-46 win against Western Alamance in the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs.
“I’m excited for it, I’m ready for it. This is an elite program that we’re going against to kind of show us where we’re at in our growth.”
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The Colts showed that growth throughout the season, winning their first conference championship in nearly 40 years. After being bounced in the third round of the 2022 playoffs, Cape Fear took another step with its third-round victory.
“This year, the focus has been a lot better, especially in the playoffs,” Graham said. “The biggest thing is being focused and ready to go.”
Being locked in hasn’t been a problem for junior star Jayda Angel, who scored 37 points against the 12th-seeded Warriors (21-9) and consistently made them pay in the open court.
“Getting to the next round, that’s all I was thinking about,” Angel said.
Kayia Starling added 14 points for the Colts, who did most of their damage in transition with a crowd of fast-break points. The key, Graham added, was Cape Fear’s consistent pressure defense.
“We turn you over, we’re going to the other end and it’s too late,” Graham said.
“We get a steal, somebody’s streaking down the side and running at all times. If we’re solid defensively, we’re gonna run. … The biggest thing is recognizing how to spark our transition offense.”
Cape Fear is aiming for its first regional final appearance since 1989. First, they’ll have to get by the Golden Bull-ettes, who earned an 82-47 win against No. 8 Scotland in the third round.
E.E. Smith beat the Colts, 73-67, in the season opener.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Angel said. “Everybody wants this, so we’re ready and we’re gonna be working hard for it. It’s gonna be big – I know it’s gonna be big. It’s gonna be hectic.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cape Fear girls basketball beats Western Alamance in NCHSAA playoffs
