PITTSBORO — Seaforth’s senior guard Nate Emerson and junior guard Campbell Meador spearheaded an 18-0 advantage to open the game, and the Hawks never trailed in a 78-42 win over North Moore Friday.
“It all starts with defense with us,” Meador said. “On offense, we were just getting good looks. Penetrating and then kicking it out or just finishing inside. We were knocking them down early.”
Emerson, who led Seaforth with 14 points, scored seven points in the team’s opening barrage while Meador, who finished the game with 11 points, contributed two threes in the first quarter run.
The Hawks were lights out from three-point range the entire game, shooting 43% from beyond the arc. Meador had the Hawks’ highest three-point shooting clip as he made three of his four attempts. His second three, which came off a steal by junior guard Declan Lindquist, gave Seaforth a 15-0 lead and forced an early North Moore timeout.
“I feel like everyone on our team can shoot,” Emerson said. “When we’re having a good night like tonight, it’s very effective.”
Seaforth’s defense also did some heavy lifting thanks to a combination of presses, traps and half court sets. The Hawks forced numerous turnovers that led to easy layups and more scoring opportunities on the other end while also limiting North Moore’s ability to get into any offensive rhythm.
The Mustangs only scored nine points in the first quarter, and they scored just seven more in the second quarter to trail 39-16 at halftime.
“I just thought we matched up well with some of our sets, schemes and our actions, particularly on defense,” Seaforth coach John Berry said. “I believe that if we go out there and execute the things we do defensively whether it’s our zone defense and whether it’s our man defense, I thought we’d have an advantage.”
Said Berry, “That goes with the press defense as well. I thought that if we could make them move the ball a little bit up the court, even if we don’t get any turnovers or steals, we would make them think about it at least.”
Seaforth’s bench kept up the intensity in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter that saw sophomore guard Justin Torres knock down three triples on his way to 13 points. Senior Brandon Sturdivant also had a solid contribution off the bench with eight fourth quarter points, and the Hawks finished the night with 13 players scoring a basket.
“I’m super proud of the entire team, but especially the bench players,” Berry said. “Not all the time do they get a chance to play as much as the starters. For them to be constant team players, come to practice, work hard and never complain, and then when they get the time, they take advantage of it, super proud of them.”
The Hawks’ win over North Moore marked the second time they’ve won at least two consecutive games this season as it followed a 46-41 win over Leadership Academy on Dec. 30.
Despite Friday’s win only bringing Seaforth to a 6-6 overall record, it improved to a 3-1 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference record. The Hawks have played some of their best basketball against conference opponents this year, including a 75-28 rout over Graham, a 39-31 win over Cummings and a close 53-51 loss to a very talented Chatham Central squad.
Seaforth is entering one of the toughest weeks of its schedule that will further test its stature against the conference’s best. After traveling to Haw River to take on a tough Southeast Alamance team Tuesday, the Hawks will host first-place Northwood Thursday in the first of two regular season bouts with their cross-town rival.
The Hawks have yet to beat Northwood in their four year history as they’d always fall victim to Drake Powell’s dominance alongside his talented teammates. The Chargers are without Powell this season, but they are still a force with the leadership of junior guard Cam Fowler.
Berry hopes his team plays “as a clenched fist” and draws on the famous “do your job” philosophy of his “distant mentor” and UNC football head coach Bill Belichick going into its upcoming games.
“Just trust the system and trust your teammates enough that if everybody has the same mindset and they’re playing within this entire ecosystem, then good things tend to happen,” Berry said. “If you asked me what’s the keys: clenched fist, be an MVP at doing your job. And if we can do that, then it gives us an opportunity to play a competitive game against these teams.”
