Reworded: Zamareya Jones had a successful career, achieving 2,000 points and being named the coaches association state player of the year as a junior. She was also one of only 17 players from her state to be selected as a McDonald’s All-American. However, she did not win a championship.

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Her celebrated time in high school came to a close on Saturday.

In the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A girls basketball championship, North Pitt emerged victorious over East Burke with a score of 76-66 at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum.

North Pitt (29-3) faced a tough challenge from East Burke (31-1), who refused to back down.

“Their 31-0 record is not by chance,” stated Antwon Pittman, coach of North Pitt. “We were aware that it would be a tough battle.”

Jones picked up her fourth foul with 1:36 left in the third quarter with the Panthers leading 52-40. North Pitt led 54-46 going into the fourth quarter after East Burke’s Kamiah Lawing beat the buzzer.

Despite North Pitt’s Jones and freshman Jordan Speller having four fouls each, East Burke managed to reduce the deficit to six points with just over three minutes remaining. However, it was not enough and proved to be too late.

Jones and Speller, a powerful team, had an exceptional performance once again. Jones, who is committed to N.C. State, contributed 21 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, while Speller recorded 31 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.

Speller was chosen as the game’s Most Valuable Player, while Jones received the award for North Pitt’s Most Outstanding Player.

, she was relieved and pleased.

Initially, Jones was upset when she heard her name announced over the PA system. She believed that she had won MVP over Speller and wanted Speller to receive recognition. However, when the MVP announcement was made, Jones felt relieved and happy.

“Observe the skill with which she plays! As a freshman, she was able to score 31 points. That is a rare accomplishment at a state championship,” exclaimed Jones, who sees Speller as a younger sibling.

East Burke had one of its own, which is why the Cavaliers were able to hang tough.

The Junior point guard, Braelyn Stilwell, scored 23 points and had 4 rebounds. The team’s sophomore forward, Kara Brinkley, contributed 28 points and 19 rebounds.

By halftime, Brinkley had recorded a double-double and scored 9 out of 15 attempts on the floor. He was awarded the Most Outstanding Player honor for the Cavaliers.

Today, we competed fiercely and pursued our goal. As our coach Crystal Bartlett recalls, every team member attacked the rim at some point, giving their all.

The number one seed from the East, North Pitt, has achieved four state championship victories in four appearances. This includes securing the NCHSAA’s inaugural title in 1977 and an additional three titles in the past nine years.

East Burke, the 3-seed from the West, took down last year’s 2A champ in the fourth round. The Cavaliers were playing in their first state final in school history, but East Burke has been close lately, now having fallen to eventual state champions four times in the last six years.

Before the game, one player from each team was given NCHSAA sportsmanship awards. North Pitt’s Kenae Edwards and East Burke’s Kassie Turner were their teams’ respective winners.

In a game against North Pitt, Jordan Speller scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Zamareya Jones scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds. Kanae Edwards added 13 points to the team’s total, and Zihanna Lightfoot contributed 8 points and 15 rebounds. Gjahnice Chance also scored 3 points.

Kara Brinkley led East Burke with 28 points and 19 rebounds, followed by Braelyn Stilwell with 23 points. Kassie Turner, Kamiah Lawing, Anna Coble, and Ally Moore also contributed to the team’s score with 4, 4, 4, and 3 points respectively.

Source: highschoolot.com