Friday night belonged to Sampson County basketball in every sense of the word.
Inside the gym at Union High School, the JV Spartans defended their home floor and defeated the East Columbus High School Gators 64-58 to capture the 1A/2A Eastern Conference Tournament Championship. Meanwhile, the Lakewood High School Lady Leopards secured their own conference crown, grinding out a 45-40 victory over the East Bladen High School Lady Eagles.
One court, two trophies. One defining night for local hoops.
Union JV 64, East Columbus 58
With a packed home crowd behind them, Union and East Columbus traded baskets from the opening tip. Junior Kemori McNeil immediately set the tone, attacking the rim and controlling the pace. The Gators countered with corner threes and floaters to keep things even, but McNeil’s late layup gave Union a 16-14 edge at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter began the same way — with McNeil finishing through contact.
Jaleel Duncan followed with an offensive rebound putback. Maliq Dominguez added a post score. Union’s interior presence began to impose itself, and the Spartans stretched the lead to ten midway through the half.
Duncan converted an and-one to answer a Gators basket. When Kamari Spaulding knocked down a three to trim the margin, Duncan calmly sank two free throws. McNeil later assisted Dominguez and then scored himself to extend the advantage back to double digits.
East Columbus refused to fade. Capitalizing on back-to-back Union turnovers, the Gators closed the half on a surge, trimming the deficit to 33-27.
The third quarter brought the loudest swing of the night.
East Columbus opened with a three and a layup off a blocked shot to cut the lead to one. Aubrey Long then drained a triple to give the Gators their first lead since the opening quarter.
McNeil answered immediately, driving strong and finishing at the rim to tie the game 35-35.
Freshman point guard CJ Williams then stepped forward.
Williams buried a three from the top of the key to regain the lead. On another possession, he collapsed the defense and found Duncan for a wide-open finish under the basket. Union led 40-35 midway through the period.
Williams connected again from deep. Duncan added two more post scores. Yet turnovers once more allowed East Columbus to close within three late in the third.
With the Gators in the bonus, Williams calmly sank two free throws. Long answered at the stripe. Duncan matched him with two of his own with six seconds left in the quarter, giving Union a 48-44 lead heading into the fourth.
The final eight minutes became a test of composure.
Domori Parker opened the quarter with a bucket. Jojaunti Leak was later found wide open after Williams drew defenders yet again and delivered a precise pass. Midway through the quarter, McNeil converted an and-one — though he missed the free throw — stretching the lead to ten.
With three minutes to play and both teams in the bonus, every possession carried weight.
McNeil went 1-of-2 at the line to make it 59-50. Spaulding answered with a free throw after Dominguez fouled out. A steal and layup trimmed the deficit to four with two minutes remaining.
Williams missed two free throws, but the Gators failed to capitalize, missing a long three. McNeil secured the rebound and was fouled. He split the pair to make it 60-55 with 40 seconds left.
Moments later, Long fouled out, and McNeil returned to the stripe. This time, he knocked down both free throws to extend the lead to seven. Spaulding drilled a late three-pointer, but intentional fouls sent McNeil back to the line once more. He calmly sank both, sealing the 64-58 championship victory.
For McNeil, the moment represented redemption.
“I’m just happy we all worked as a team, passed the ball around,” McNeil said. “Last year, we were close to getting it, but this year we got it. I’m just proud of my teammates.”
When asked whether the countless hours in practice made the trophy more meaningful, he answered simply, “Yes, sir; most definitely. Of course, we like to have fun, but winning is what’s really fun. ”
Looking ahead, the junior already has his focus on improvement.
“I feel great, ready,” McNeil said about possibly moving up next season. “I’m gonna work on my handles, try to get varsity ready.”
Williams, the freshman floor general who controlled tempo throughout the night, credited the team-first mentality.
“I feel good,” Williams said. “We executed as a team, moved the ball around, hit the big man on the backdoor cuts. That’s really how we got here. Set ball screens and all that.”
Earlier in the season, Williams emphasized getting everyone involved, even in lopsided games. He believes that mindset paid dividends.
“You never know when your number will be called, so we always just try to stay ready for the moment,” he said when asked if that approach fueled their success.
As for next year, his goals are clear.
“I’m looking forward to moving up,” Williams said. “Help them get to where they are trying to get.”
When asked to sum up the season in a phrase, Williams didn’t hesitate: “Hard working.”
Head coach Bryant Register described the championship as a culmination of months of commitment.
“Great feeling,” Register said. “I’m proud of our guys. This is what we talked about at the end of October. We set two goals — regular season and conference tournament champions. They stayed on schedule and got the job done.”
Register, who battled family illness midseason, remained connected to his team throughout.
“It was emotional in that locker room,” he said. “To see those young men’s faces when they won — that’s priceless. When that final horn went off and you saw their expressions, that’s something you don’t forget.”
He emphasized that this is bigger than one trophy.
“These are the foundational pieces,” Register said. “Some of these kids are gonna move up and produce at varsity. The others will keep developing. This is the new standard.”
Lakewood 45, East Bladen 40
If Union’s championship was about finishing a climb, Lakewood’s title was about resilience and maturity.
The Lady Leopards entered the conference tournament determined to reclaim ground after falling short of the regular-season crown. They first had to eliminate back-to-back defending champion North Duplin — and they did — setting up a Friday night showdown with East Bladen.
Lakewood jumped ahead early in the championship game, dictating tempo with defensive pressure and patience in the half-court. However, a scoring drought late in the first quarter allowed East Bladen to claw back and tie the contest 9-9 heading into the second.
The response spoke volumes about Lakewood’s composure.
Areona McKoy, coming off a 40-point game against North Duplin, opened the second quarter with a tough fadeaway on the opening possession, setting a tone of aggressiveness. Trinity Bell followed with a strong finish, and Jasmine Crumpler added timely scoring to stretch the lead to 17-11.
McKoy then connected on a midrange pull-up, pushing the advantage to eight and forcing East Bladen to adjust defensively.
By halftime, McKoy had scored 14 points — matching East Bladen’s entire team output — as Lakewood carried a 23-14 lead into the locker room.
East Bladen struck first in the third quarter, trying to shift momentum. McKoy steadied the moment at the free-throw line, splitting a pair before later drilling a three from the top of the key that extended the lead back to ten.
Lakewood’s defense did just as much damage as its offense. Rotations were sharper. Closeouts were quicker. Rebounding improved. The Lady Leopards led 28-18 midway through the third and 32-24 entering the fourth quarter.
When East Bladen opened the final period with a three-pointer, the pressure returned.
McKoy answered, and Takiyah Carr answered again. Back-to-back threes from McKoy and Carr extended Lakewood’s lead to 40-27, energizing the home crowd and swinging momentum firmly back toward the Lady Leopards.
But championships are rarely secured without tension.
East Bladen mounted a 9-4 scoring run, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and forcing Lakewood into half-court possessions deep into the shot clock. The lead shrank into single digits. With two minutes remaining, Lakewood clung to a 44-36 advantage.
Execution became critical.
Lakewood defended without fouling. They contested shots without gambling. They secured rebounds. When East Bladen attempted to quicken the tempo, Lakewood showed discipline.
McKoy’s continued aggression, scoring 31 points and 15 rebounds, combined with contributions across the lineup, allowed the Lady Leopards to close out the 45-40 victory and capture the conference championship.
Head coach Lofton Kerr viewed the championship as validation of growth throughout the season.
“Feels good,” Kerr said. “When Areona went down earlier in the year, I told them we had to go on the road and earn everything. We did what we needed to do.”
Kerr acknowledged that much of the defensive attention is naturally focused on McKoy, especially with teams implementing box-and-one looks designed to limit her touches. But he emphasized that the victory was not about one player.
“It didn’t have to be nothing major. It’s the little things,” Kerr explained. “Rebounds here and there. Making shots when we needed them. Everybody knew she was gonna get boxed in, but the other girls stepped up. It was a full team effort.”
He has consistently challenged his younger players to be ready for their moment.
“If she passes you the ball, all you need to do is be ready,” Kerr said. “Don’t be nervous. Your moment is coming.”
That readiness showed itself in Carr’s confident three-pointer and in the defensive stretches that preserved the lead late.
Kerr also highlighted the importance of his interior presence, maintaining composure when opponents try to force foul trouble.
“We need her on the court,” Kerr noted. “Teams are gonna attack. So we work on position, staying in front, not putting ourselves in bad spots. We gotta keep her available.”
Lakewood now shifts focus to the state playoffs, where they earned a first-round bye. Kerr understands the delicate balance that comes with extra rest.
“You gotta stay locked in,” he said. “You’re still in basketball season. A lot of teams don’t get this opportunity. If you get the right matchup and you’re clicking at the right time, you can find yourself one game away from something big.”
The Lady Leopards have now won nine consecutive games and appear to be peaking at the right moment.
The championship was not simply about one night’s performance. It was about responding to adversity, adjusting to defensive pressure, trusting teammates, and closing when it mattered most.
Two programs. Two conference championships.
A Friday night that underscored the growth, depth, and rising standards of basketball across Sampson County.