PITTSBORO — Seaforth guards Gabby White and Katie Leonard scored 12 points apiece in a 55-9 rout over North Moore Friday.
“They played good defense,” Seaforth assistant coach Kimberly Brower said. “They moved up and down the court really well, communicated, talked, boxed out and rebounded. They did good. Just got to keep on working hard and doing what we’re doing.”
Leonard led the opening attack with 10 first quarter points, but White also stepped up with eight first quarter points and a double-double on the night with 10 rebounds.
“Just transition, getting to the basket and getting my easy buckets,” White said. “And then, hitting my pull up, feeding my teammates and just playing a good solid game.”
Seaforth also got a solid contribution from sophomore forward Camille Rozzell who finished the night with 10 points. Rozzell was very active on the boards and even put in a couple put back buckets during her big night in the paint.
“Down low, I think it was just mental,” Rozzell said. “Like, ‘I’ve got to get my head in the game. I’ve got to lock in and do what I I’ve got to do for my team.”
Defensively, Seaforth was dominant all game, allowing just two points in the entire first half for a 42-2 lead at the break. North Moore committed a plethora of turnovers from Seaforth’s press and smothering on-ball pressure.
Rozzell and White agreed that communication was the key to Hawks’ defensive success.
“When they communicate, they work really well,” Brower said.
Seaforth held an opponent to single-digit points one other time this season in a 56-3 win over Cummings on Dec. 13. The Hawks have given up at least 40 points just twice as of Sunday.
With their 10th win in a row, the Hawks moved to 10-1 overall and 4-0 in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A play. They haven’t been challenged against conference opponents so far, beating Graham, Cummings and Chatham Central each by over 30 points. However, the competition will be much different in the Hawks’ upcoming games.
Following the bout with Southeast Alamance Tuesday, Seaforth will host cross-town rival and third-place Northwood Thursday. The first of two regular season matchups between Seaforth and Northwood will be the first time the teams meet since Seaforth beat the Chargers in the third round of last year’s state playoffs.
“I’m excited, actually,” Rozzell said. “Just for the competition and the environment. It’s just something I want to play in.”
Northwood gave Seaforth stiff competition in conference play last year and even beat the Hawks in the conference tournament title game, however the Chargers have yet to beat Seaforth in a regular season game since beating them twice in the 2021-22 season.
This year, the Chargers have size and a strong interior presence with Shaylah and Mikaylah Glover and former Seaforth Hawk Sydney Ballard. The Glover twins lead the team in scoring (Mikaylah first, Shaylah second) while senior guard Natalia Whitaker has also played very well for the Chargers in the backcourt.
“No. 1 thing, they’re going to have to focus,” Brower said in regard to Seaforth’s tough upcoming games. “They’re going to have to just go out there and play their game the way they know how to play it. They’re going to just have to play as a team.”
