A’miyah Smith is met with a tough Cougar defender.
Areona McKoy goes up for the layup. She had a game-high 30 points.
Takiyah Carr launches a wide-open 3-pointer.
The Lakewood Leopards secured a spot in the 1A conference championship after mounting an impressive second-half comeback on Tuesday night to defeat the Neuse Charter Cougars 56-48 in the semifinals. A relentless defensive effort, key adjustments, and clutch scoring from Areona McKoy propelled the Leopards to victory in a hard-fought battle.
Neuse Charter came out strong, scoring two quick layups to take an early lead. Areona McKoy responded with a driving layup to get Lakewood on the board, but the Cougars quickly answered with a deep three-pointer, extending their advantage.
Takiyah Carr found an opening for a layup, keeping the Leopards within reach, but Neuse Charter continued to control the pace. A series of layups and free throws allowed the Cougars to widen their lead.
McKoy then knocked down a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit, but Neuse Charter remained efficient on offense, closing the first quarter ahead 15-7.
Lakewood turned up the defensive pressure in the second period, with A’miyah Smith disrupting passing lanes and forcing turnovers. However, Neuse Charter managed to add to their lead with a free throw.
Jahmai Rich made an impact on the boards, creating second-chance opportunities for the Leopards. Lakewood looked to gain momentum as McKoy set up A’miyah Smith for a layup attempt, but the shot didn’t fall.
At the 4:26 mark, play stopped due to an injury to a Neuse Charter player. Once the game resumed, Alexis Rhodes attempted a 3-pointer, but it missed the mark. The Cougars took advantage of the miss, converting back-to-back layups to increase their lead to 19-10.
Neuse Charter then knocked down another three-pointer, pushing their advantage to 22-10. Lakewood called a timeout at 3:18 to regroup.
Coming out of the break, Carr missed a 3-pointer, but McKoy hit one of her free throws moments later. She then stole the ball and finished a fast-break layup, cutting the deficit to 22-13.
Neuse Charter added another layup, but McKoy answered with a 3-pointer, making it 24-16.
Just before halftime, McKoy added another steal and layup to Lakewood’s tally, but the Cougars closed the quarter with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer, heading into halftime with a 27-18 lead.
Lakewood started the second half aggressively, but McKoy missed an early 3-point attempt. Neuse Charter capitalized with a layup to push their lead to 32-18.
The Leopards responded with Carr stealing a pass and sparking a scoring opportunity, though McKoy missed under pressure. Despite the miss, Rich battled on the boards, keeping Lakewood’s possessions alive.
Momentum shifted when Karima Freeman hit a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 32-21. Moments later, McKoy stole the ball and sprinted for a layup, bringing Lakewood within 32-23.
Neuse Charter struggled to keep possession, and A’miyah Smith capitalized with a mid-range jumper.
Lakewood’s defensive pressure intensified, forcing multiple turnovers and leading to another fast-break basket. With 1:44 remaining, McKoy secured another steal and knocked down a pull-up jumper, closing the gap to 36-27.
Neuse Charter attempted to slow the pace, but the momentum had clearly shifted to Lakewood. Heading into the final quarter, the Leopards had clawed their way back but still trailed 36-27.
Neuse Charter opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and a layup, extending their lead to 41-27. Freeman responded with a 3-pointer, keeping Lakewood within reach.
The Cougars grabbed an offensive rebound and converted another 3-pointer, making it 44-30.
Refusing to back down, McKoy hit a jumper but missed the free throw. Moments later, she forced a steal but couldn’t convert the layup.
With under five minutes remaining, Lakewood’s defense became suffocating. Carr knocked down a 3-pointer, trimming the deficit to 42-37.
McKoy came up with another steal, feeding Carr for a layup, making it 42-39. At 5:07, Neuse Charter called a timeout to regroup.
Out of the timeout, Neuse Charter struggled to score, allowing McKoy to capitalize with another steal and fast-break layup, tying the game at 42-42. Moments later, Carr hit a 3-pointer, giving Lakewood its first lead of the night at 45-42.
Neuse Charter made one of two free throws, but A’miyah Smith answered with a layup to maintain the advantage.
The Cougars had another chance at the free throw line but missed both shots. McKoy then drove inside for another layup, stretching Lakewood’s lead to 49-45.
With under two minutes to go, Rich fought for a crucial rebound, highlighting the importance of every possession.
McKoy drew a foul and made one of two free throws, then picked off another pass and scored in transition, making it 52-45.
Neuse Charter managed a layup, but Carr responded with one of her own to keep Lakewood in control.
The Cougars hit one of two free throws, bringing the score to 54-48, but McKoy sealed the game with two clutch free throws, securing the 56-48 victory and sending the Leopards to the championship game.
With the victory, Lakewood advances to the Carolina 1A conference championship, where they will face North Duplin today at Union High School, with a 1:30 p.m. tipoff scheduled. The Leopards have shown they can battle through adversity, and if their second-half performance against Neuse Charter is any indication, they will be a tough team to beat in the finals.