Nash Central bashes RMHS 54-40 for Nash County tourney title
December 24, 2008 By Charles Alston of Rocky Mount High School
ROCKY MOUNT - Nash Central's girls basketball team made a statement on their home court Tuesday evening in the girls finals of the Nash County Holiday Basketball Tournament.
What did they say? How about "don't overlook us!"
The Lady Bulldogs showed from the outset that they meant business as they methodically disposed of defending champion Rocky Mount 54-40. Nash Central won the event in 2006 when it was played at Southern Nash.
What didn't Nash Central do well. It outrebounded Rocky Mount (6-3) and outshot RM for starters. The Lady Bulldogs owned the offensive backboards and got plenty of baskets inside. Senior point guard Jasmine Sessoms, voted MVP of the tourney, got them off to a hot start and the rest of the team was ready to ride along.
Nash Central led 14-8 after the first period and 24-21 at halftime.
The Lady Bulldogs also did a number on one of the area's top scorers - Rocky Mount senior forward Dyonna Battle. Battle, who came into the contest needing just 11 points to reach 1,000 for her career, was 0-for-16 from the field and canned one free throw for just one point on the night. Battle did, however, pull down six rebounds and doled out six assists.
Sessoms led all scorers with 18 points. Teammate Xaviera Bass canned a career-high 14. Tia Hudgins and Marquita Hines paced the Lady Gryphons with eight points each.
Nash County Holiday Tournament
@ Nash Central HS
Girls Championship
Nash Central 52, Rocky Mount 40
RM 8 - 13 - 8 - 11 -- 40
NC 14 - 10 - 16 - 12 -- 52
RM: Hudgins 8, Hines 8, Farmer 7, Whitaker 6, Roberson 6, Bynum 2, Seabreeze 2, Battle (1 pt., 6 reb., 6 asst.)
NC: Jasmine Sessoms 18, Xaviera Bass 14, Jasmine Williams 10, Jasmine Williams 6, Cooper 4.
Records: Rocky Mount 6-3
Girls All-Tournament Team
Ashley Hughes, Northern Nash
Shante' Neal, Southern Nash
Tia Hudgins, Rocky Mount
Dyonna Battle, Rocky Mount
Xaviera Bass, Nash Central
MVP: Jasmine Sessoms, Nash Central |
NATIONAL
NORTH CAROLINA
