FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Phenom Hoops' Hoops & Dreams Showcase was held in Capel Arena on the campus of Fayetteville State University. The matchup between the Terry Sanford Bulldogs and then North Pitt Panthers gave fans an opportunity to check out two of the top prospects in North Carolina regardless of class. Class of 2023 guard Miya Giles-Jones of Terry Sanford and 2024 guard Zamareya Jones of North Pitt. The game and players did not disappoint.
The game started off with both teams trying to figure each other out. There was a lot of up-and-down the court but no real flow until Terry Sanford was able to knock down some shots and take a 7-2 lead with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter.
North Pitt junior Aquarius Pettaway knocked down a free throw line jumper to get her team going and trim the lead to 7-4 with Terry Sanford still leading. The Panthers ended the period on a 5 2 run that would bring them within one point of Terry Sanford at 9-8.
They kept it going into the second quarter when Zykeia Staton knocked down a three-pointer off the feed from Jones to make it 13-9. The Panthers are now on a 10-2 run. The teams exchanged points and it stayed close.
The game was tied at 16 with 47 seconds left on the clock when Staton converted a basket from another great pass from junior J’Nadia Maye to give the Panthers a lead at 18-16.
Bulldog senior guard Tamia Morris was not having any of that. She was able to convert a steal into a three-pointer on the other end of the court to take the lead back at 19-18 as the half ended.
In the third quarter, the scoring picked up for both teams as it went back and forth with Pettaway scoring nine points for the Panthers and Morris adding eight points including two three-pointers for the Bulldogs.
With the score tied in the final minute of play, Jones came up with a steal and score to give the Panthers a 34- 32 lead with 10 seconds left on the clock. That just left enough time for Giles-Jones to beat the horn with a free throw line jumper to tie the game again at 34 at the end of the third period.
In the fourth quarter, the scoring would go back and forth. With 1;58 left and the game tied at 47, Giles-Jones finished on the block from a nice inbounds pass from Morris for Terry Sanford. North Pitt would come back and tie the game at 49 on the next play, but the Bulldogs came back down the court and missed a sho. Freshman guard Breona Roaf rebounded the ball and passed it to Morris, who knocked down the three-pointer to give her team the lead at 52 - 49 with 1:27 left on the clock.
Morris would also hit the next six free throws to close out the game and a give Terry Sanford a 58-53 win over North Pitt.
North Pitt HS
Zamareya Jones scored 10 4th quarter points to keep her team in it. She finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Aquarius Pettaway had a very strong game finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Terry Sanford HS
Tamia Morris was the game's MVP with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. She also knocked down five three-pointers and the final 9 points of the game to secure the victory.
Miya Giles-Jones finished with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Peter London
Carolina Girls Hoops Report
