McNair’s career night pushes Greenfield into conference championship game
Serenity McNair has been the straw the stirs the drink for the Greenfield girls basketball team all season, so it’s only fitting that her best outing of the season propels the Knights into their conference championship game. Behind a career-best 37 points from McNair at home Thursday night, Greenfield pushed past Wayne Christian, 51-49, in the North Carolina Independent Schools Association 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference tournament.
The Knights (14-7) fell behind 25-16 at halftime and trailed by as much as 12 before rallying back in the third quarter, taking a 35-32 lead into the fourth and holding on for the win against the Eagles (16-3).
“It was our best third quarter of the season,” said Greenfield head coach Bruce Wall. “... A light just clicked on. It was the Serenity second half show, she just took over, put us on her back and just went at them.”
McNair scored 30 of her 37 points in the second half, with 16 coming in Greenfield’s third-quarter rally. She also put up 15 of the Knights’ 16 fourth-quarter points, going 10 of 14 from the free-throw line in the final frame to ice the game.
“She put it on her back, and she was not going to lose that game,” Wall said. “It was fun to watch.”
In addition, in the second half, Darcy Dean, who finished the game with eight points and Yazi Bullock both hit big shots, and Libby Eagles pulled down eight defensive rebounds.
“Defensively, everybody stepped up and played a big role,” Wall said. “... That was big for us in that third and fourth quarter, because the game got tight. Once we took the lead in that third quarter, they stayed right with us the whole time, but we didn’t quit. Serenity was just an engine. We spread it out. We made the passes. ... It was all cylinders.”
Brianna Verme led the Eagles with 17 points, followed by Ella Fox with 14.
Greenfield will face Wayne Country Day, which defeated John Paul II Catholic 52-42 Thursday, on its home court in the conference tournament championship game tomorrow.
The Knights know they’ll have their work cut out for them after a pair of regular-season losses to the Chargers.
WAYNE CHRISTIAN (49)
B. Verme 17, E. Fox 14, H. Verme 9, Huffman 4, C. Fox 3, A. Verme 2.
GREENFIELD (51)
McNair 37, Dean 8, Holland 3, Bullock 2, Eagles 1.
Score by quarters:
WC 10 15 7 17 — 49
GFS 8 8 19 16 — 51
Serenity McNair has been the straw the stirs the drink for the Greenfield girls basketball team all season, so it’s only fitting that her best outing of the season propels the Knights into their conference championship game. Behind a career-best 37 points from McNair at home Thursday night, Greenfield pushed past Wayne Christian, 51-49, in the North Carolina Independent Schools Association 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference tournament.
The Knights (14-7) fell behind 25-16 at halftime and trailed by as much as 12 before rallying back in the third quarter, taking a 35-32 lead into the fourth and holding on for the win against the Eagles (16-3).
“It was our best third quarter of the season,” said Greenfield head coach Bruce Wall. “... A light just clicked on. It was the Serenity second half show, she just took over, put us on her back and just went at them.”
McNair scored 30 of her 37 points in the second half, with 16 coming in Greenfield’s third-quarter rally. She also put up 15 of the Knights’ 16 fourth-quarter points, going 10 of 14 from the free-throw line in the final frame to ice the game.
“She put it on her back, and she was not going to lose that game,” Wall said. “It was fun to watch.”
In addition, in the second half, Darcy Dean, who finished the game with eight points and Yazi Bullock both hit big shots, and Libby Eagles pulled down eight defensive rebounds.
“Defensively, everybody stepped up and played a big role,” Wall said. “... That was big for us in that third and fourth quarter, because the game got tight. Once we took the lead in that third quarter, they stayed right with us the whole time, but we didn’t quit. Serenity was just an engine. We spread it out. We made the passes. ... It was all cylinders.”
Brianna Verme led the Eagles with 17 points, followed by Ella Fox with 14.
Greenfield will face Wayne Country Day, which defeated John Paul II Catholic 52-42 Thursday, on its home court in the conference tournament championship game tomorrow.
The Knights know they’ll have their work cut out for them after a pair of regular-season losses to the Chargers.
WAYNE CHRISTIAN (49)
B. Verme 17, E. Fox 14, H. Verme 9, Huffman 4, C. Fox 3, A. Verme 2.
GREENFIELD (51)
McNair 37, Dean 8, Holland 3, Bullock 2, Eagles 1.
Score by quarters:
WC 10 15 7 17 — 49
GFS 8 8 19 16 — 51
