The East Carteret Mariners made the long trip from Beaufort on Thursday night, but it was the host Lakewood Lady Leopards who controlled the evening from start to finish.
Lakewood rolled past East Carteret 69-48 in the second round of the NCHSAA state playoffs, advancing to 19-7 on the season and punching a ticket to face Warren County on the road in the next round.
Coming off a first-round bye, Lakewood head coach Lofton Kerr wanted to see energy and defensive sharpness immediately. He got both.
“I was pleased to see that our defense stayed aggressive,” Kerr said. “We always want to come out and demand to get our blood flowing and our legs going. That man-to-man looked pretty good because we caused them a little bit of problems with it.”
Rather than sitting back in the zone, the Lady Leopards attacked. Their full-court pressure and physical man-to-man defense set the tone early and never let up.
That commitment to guarding one-on-one requires conditioning and trust.
“That tells me they know that man is going to take a lot of energy,” Kerr explained. “So when they make that sacrifice and take those minutes, that says a lot. I manage my timeouts with them and try to give them a blow when I can. They enjoy playing man. The only thing I tell them is we’ve got to help each other. You can play man, but we’ve got to know where that ball is and where the help is coming from.”
Lakewood’s defensive intensity fueled an offensive explosion — particularly from its two headliners.
Sophomore standout Areona McKoy delivered yet another jaw-dropping performance, pouring in 45 points on 69 percent shooting from the field. She also added seven offensive rebounds, six defensive boards, and finished with 13 total rebounds in a dominant all-around effort.
Kerr did not hide his appreciation.
“Man, you don’t get to coach a kid like that often,” he said. “When you get one, you value what they bring to the table. She’s always going to shoot her shots in the paint. I’ve talked to her about getting downhill. We want her at that rim doing her good work. And then when that jumper falls like it did last night, I knew it was going to be a good night.”
McKoy wasn’t alone.
Trinity Bell — the Robin to McKoy’s Batman — answered the call with 18 points and six rebounds, providing the offensive balance Kerr has emphasized throughout the postseason.
“I’ve always been high on Trinity,” Kerr noted. “We need her to score. She can put the ball in the hole. When I see her having a good game, I say, ‘Oh yeah, we should be fine.’ Because that means the game she has — it’s kind of an old-school game — but she can knock it down.”
Bell’s confidence has grown steadily, and Kerr believes that development is critical for Lakewood’s championship hopes.
“That was the whole deal — making sure she had confidence about stepping into that role of being a scorer,” he continued. “She doesn’t complain. She plays hard defensively. She’ll guard some of the other team’s best players and still score. She’s been pretty steady. I hope she keeps it up.”
The supporting cast contributed in key ways as well. Takiyah Carr grabbed seven rebounds to help control the glass, while Jahmai Rich matched McKoy with 13 boards of her own, adding important second-chance opportunities. Lakewood’s activity on the offensive boards helped prevent East Carteret from gaining any sustained momentum.
With the win, the Leopards now prepare for a road test against Warren County (18-3) in Warrenton.
“We’re going on the road with confidence,” Kerr said with a nod. “If you want to go home, you’ve got to come in there and take a shot at them in their place. It’s their home. They’re pretty good. So we’ve got to be focused on the game plan.”
Preparation will center around neutralizing what Warren County does best while hoping Lakewood’s stars continue to shine.
“It ain’t too much you can do — it’s part of the season,” Kerr added. “But you’ve got to have something in to match what they like to do. We’re going to try to slow down what they like to do. And hopefully Areona and Trinity and the girls have a big night, and we can bring home that W.”
Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. tonight. A full recap of Lakewood’s matchup against Warren County will appear in Tuesday’s e-edition of The Sampson Independent.