How Highland Tech girls basketball snapped 16-year playoff losing skid
· Yahoo Sports
With one of its biggest goals already checked off its priority list, the Highland Tech girls basketball team went about doing away with another Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Hosting its first home playoff game since 2018, No. 10 Highland Tech scored its first postseason win in 16 years with a 49-29 victory over 23-seed Alleghany in first-round play of the NCHSAA 2A West playoffs.
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“It’s amazing,” said Highland Tech senior captain Akela Taylor. “Honestly, I never thought I would get this far in basketball. So to be here and have a home playoff game; that was our goal this season, honestly my whole high school career. So to be able to get here and get to play with a team I absolutely love and adore, it’s just super fun.”
Highland Tech defenders harassed Alleghany ball handlers throughout, causing a host of loose balls in the process. Some immediately led to Ram points, helping them to a double-digit advantage on multiple occasions in the first-half. Alleghany proved pesky, cutting the Highland Tech lead to as few as four points in the third period. The Rams eventually shut the door, though, with sophomore standouts Savannah Butler and Nyla Rae Bailey playing a significant role in helping Highland Tech outscore Alleghany 12-1 in the fourth.
Butler finished with a triple-double, scoring 17 points to go with 11 rebounds and 10 steals. Bailey scored eight points and finished with a double-digit rebound total.
“(Butler) has really stepped her game up after being a seven-, eight-point scorer (last season). She’s now attacking and making an impact,” said Highland Tech girls basketball coach Troy McBeth. “And then (Bailey), she had double-digit rebounds and was getting her hands in the action every which way.
“These girls are just sophomores; their best years (of basketball) are ahead of them.”
Taylor and Lily Johnson also contributed eight points apiece.
Highland Tech (16-11) advances to take on No. 7 Murphy in NCHSAA 2A West second-round play.
The Rams were not the only ones who ended lengthy playoff droughts Tuesday, however. Hitting the road to start their respective playoff runs, No. 18 Crest and 17-seed South Point each returned with NCHSAA 5A West first-round victories.
South Point claimed its first playoff win since 2011 with a 59-50 victory at No. 16 Concord. Jyi Watkins scored a career-high 24 points, while Ja’Nyiah Bittle earned a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Rowen Trexler scored 10.
South Point (9-15) travels to 5A West top seed Oak Grove on Thursday, Feb. 26 for second-round action.
Kaleigh Gullatte’s 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining put Crest up for good at No. 15 Parkwood, the Chargers leaving with a 57-55 win. It was Crest’s first postseason win since 2015.
Crest (7-10) travels Thursday to take on the bracket’s No. 2 seed West Rowan.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Highland Tech girls basketball snaps 16-year playoff losing skid