‘We wanted to play them the whole time.’ Vance girls whip Mallard Creek in state semifinals.
Nobody saw this coming.
After the girls basketball teams from Vance High School and Mallard Creek played three highly competitive games during the regular-season and I-MECK 4A conference tournament, the teams met for a fourth time in the N.C. 4A state semifinals Saturday at the Catawba Valley Community College.
Unlike the first three meetings, this was not close.
Vance won, going away, 72-42, to advance to next week’s N.C. 4A state championship game. Vance (26-5) will play Southeast Raleigh (27-1) at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.
“My players wanted to play them the whole time,” Vance coach Donnell Rhyne said. “They kept saying the whole time, ‘We want Mallard Creek.’ They got what they wanted and they showed me they could do the job. All I can say is I’m proud of them. They took over the coaching realm and they played together all night.”
Vance will make its first state finals appearance since 2003, when the Cougars lost 50-47 to Fayetteville 71st. Southeast Raleigh has lost in the past three N.C. 4A state championship games.
Vance is the first Mecklenburg County girls team to reach the 4A finals since Myers Park won titles in 2014 and 2015.
Saturday, Mallard Creek got out to an early 5-1 lead just three minutes into the game. Vance then scored 11 straight points and did not let up.
“We were like this is the time, man, y’all gotta step up, y’all gotta come together,” Vance guard Kyanna Morgan said. “This is the time to get the closest that we can possibly be, if we can go where we want to go. We’ve got one goal, so we’re working as hard as we can in the gym to get it.”
By the end of the first quarter, that desire was evident. Vance led 19-8. After taking its early lead, Mallard Creek made just 1-of-6 field goals and had four turnovers.
In the second quarter, with head coach Donnell Rhyne screaming “keep attacking!” Vance did just that. With an aggressive 2-3 defense, Vance forced Mallard Creek into eight more turnovers. Mallard Creek made just two 3-point field goals and Vance ran its lead to 40-14 by halftime.
“Vance is good,” Mallard Creek coach Clarence Johnson said. “Based on what I saw tonight, they can win (state), man. They went to work on us. They had something to prove. We won the conference. We won the conference tournament at their place. They had something to prove and they did it at the right time.”
Still, Johnson never thought his team would lose like it did.
“I was in shock,” Johnson said. “I expected it to be a four-point game either way. They took advantage of the inside. They decided we’re going to win this thing and let’s get it inside to the two sisters (Amhiya and Trinity Moreland) and let them do their thing.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
Kyanna Morgan, Vance: Playing often at the top of several zone defenses, she frustrated Mallard Creek all game, finishing with 12 points, four steals and three rebounds.
Kennedy Simpson, Mallard Creek: Made 6-of-12 shots and had 14 points, five rebounds for the Mavericks.
Amhiya Moreland, Vance: 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. She also had five rebounds and two assists.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Vance’s interior players -- Trinity Moreland and Amhiya Moreland -- dominated inside, combining for 29 points, seven rebounds and two assists. They intimidated shots and forced Mallard Creek’s defense to constantly adjust.
”Those are our go-to players,” Megan Jackson said. “Nobody, nobody can stop them.”
▪ Vance made 26-of-45 field goals compared to 15-of-46 for Mallard Creek. Vance outrebounded Mallard Crek 27-20 and forced 23 Mavericks turnovers.
▪ Vance doesn’t take many 3-pointers, but made 4-of-5. Mallard Creek made 6-of-21.
THEY SAID IT
“These are my girls. Y’all don’t even understand. That’s why it’s such a big accomplishment for all of us” -- Kyanna Morgan
Vance 19 21 17 15 -- 72
Mallard Creek 8 6 14 14 -- 42
VANCE 72 -- Leah Barringer 10, Marshall 3, Jackson 8, Kyanna Morgan 12, Tanajah Hayes 10, Trinity Moreland 11, Amhiya Moreland 18
MALLARD CREEK 42 -- Lutz 1, Nevaeh Brown 8, Fowler 3, Suffren 6, Kennedy Simpson 14, Digsby 2, Walker 6, Doctor 2
