The Lakewood Lady Leopards are headed to the conference championship.
Lakewood avenged an earlier varsity boys loss this week and handled the North Duplin Lady Rebels 67-50 in the semifinal round, earning a date with East Bladen Eagles in Thursday’s conference final. The Lady Rebels held the crown of conference tournament champs for the past two years, and fell short of their “three-peat.”
North Duplin struck first, but Jasmine Crumpler quickly responded for Lakewood. The Lady Rebels answered again before Trinity Bell evened things up, setting the tone for a competitive opening stretch.
It did not take long for Areona McKoy to seize control.
After forcing a steal, McKoy used a screen from Jahmai Rich, rose up and knocked down a smooth midrange pull-up to give Lakewood a 6-4 lead. Moments later, she raced out in transition, pump-faked a defender into the air and converted inside for two more. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Leopards had built a 14-9 advantage.
North Duplin scored to open the second period, but Rich answered immediately off an assist from McKoy. With Lakewood settling into its rhythm, the Lady Leopards controlled the tempo and led 19-13 midway through the quarter.
A late burst stretched the margin even further. McKoy and Rich fueled a run that pushed the lead to 25-13 with just over two minutes left before halftime. Trinity Bell added a basket just before the break, giving Lakewood firm command heading into the locker room.
North Duplin refused to fade quietly.
The Lady Rebels chipped away in the second half, but every surge was met with a response from McKoy, who continued slicing through defenders and finishing through contact. With 5:46 left in the game and Lakewood leading 46-38 after North Duplin went two-for-two from the free-throw line, head coach Lofton Kerr called timeout to regroup his squad for the closing stretch.
Abigeal Norris kept North Duplin within striking distance with a midrange jumper. Rich calmly answered with a trip to the line, extending the lead back out with just over four minutes remaining.
With 1:41 left and Lakewood ahead 57-50, the Lady Rebels were in the bonus and searching for one final push. Instead, McKoy delivered the decisive blow — spinning through traffic, leaving defenders off balance and finishing a floater that effectively sealed the outcome.
Lakewood closed strong to secure the 67-50 win and move one step closer to its preseason goal of a conference championship.
After the game, coach Lofton Kerr reflected on what the victory meant.
“Anytime you beat North Duplin, defending champs the last couple years, that’s big,” Kerr remarked. “I was pleased with how the girls played. You’re going to hear some adversity in the game, but you’ve got to overcome it. In the fourth quarter, I told them we needed to win that quarter — and they did it.”
Kerr acknowledged the physical presence of North Duplin’s interior play and the challenge it presented.
“They’re aggressive,” he noted. “Number 32 (Norris) plays hard, and we knew that coming in. But our girls battled.”
Jahmai Rich’s effort also caught Kerr’s attention, though he believes there is more still to come.
“Tonight, she left a little bit on the table,” Kerr admitted. “That’s not her best game by far. But anytime she helps us defend the basket and rebound, that’s big for us. My thing is keeping her out of foul trouble. If we lose her, we get smoked. So hopefully tomorrow she brings that A game.”
Kerr also praised the contributions of junior Trinity Bell and the freshman Jasmine Crumpler.
“When Trinity Bell scores and plays well, I feel like we’ve got a good chance of winning,” Kerr expressed. “If she and McKoy are both in double figures, I like our chances. She can really shoot it.”
As for Crumpler, Kerr emphasized growth and confidence.
“She’s a freshman, so she’s still learning. But I told her, if you’re open, you’ve got the green light. Shoot it. Her confidence is building, and that’s big for us.”
Now, the focus shifts quickly.
Lakewood faced East Bladen in the conference championship on February 20. Results will be available in Tuesday’s e-edition.