PITTSBORO — Olivia Porter has a message for opposing teams: Danger lurks when they take the court against the Northwood women’s basketball team.
“The great thing about this team is that anybody can score 20 points on any given day, so it just makes it harder for other teams to guard us because we’re just so dangerous with the ball,” Porter, Northwood’s senior guard, said after the Chargers took an offensive wrecking ball to the Southern Alamance Patriots for a 55-40 win Thursday night.
Host Northwood claimed bragging rights as champions of the First Bank Charger Classic holiday tournament, affirming the enduring maxim, “Third time’s the charm.”
The Chargers bowed out to Apex Friendship in the finals of the inaugural 2018 Classic and again in 2019. The 2020 tournament wasn’t played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Porter, averaging 19.9 points per game entering the championship tilt, ripped the nets for a game-high 17 points. She headlined the all-tournament team as Most Outstanding Player. Teammates Gianna McManaman and Skylar Adams joined her as all-tournament players.
“It makes me feel good, it makes me feel like my teammates trust me with the ball,” Porter said of the honors. “We just work so cohesively together, and the fact that I’m a team player and I just do what I have to do to get a win makes me happy.”
After taking a 16-10 lead in the first period, the Chargers exploded for a 25-point run in the second period to extend the lead to 41-12, effectively sealing the win. Porter fueled the scoring avalanche with 10 of those points.
“We just couldn’t miss,” Porter said. “We was hitting shots from the outside, on the perimeter and making layups.”
Southern Alamance forward Caitlyn Russell opened the second period with a basket, which would count for the only Patriots points in the period.
During a three-minute stretch that followed, the Chargers’ Natalie Bell drained a 3-pointer from the corner, followed by Adams raining in a 3-pointer of her own.
Porter then got a steal at mid-court and raced, uncontested, for a layup, then knocked down a 3-pointer on an ensuing possession.
Northwood senior Myla Marve splashed in the Chargers’ fourth 3-pointer of the period a little later, adding to the Chargers’ eventual seven 3-pointers in the game. They eclipsed the Patriots, 7-2, on total 3-pointers.
The early commanding lead was huge for the Chargers.
“Second half we weren’t making our layups,” Porter said. “We weren’t hitting our threes.”
Southern Alamance outscored their hosts, 28-14, in the second half, holding the Chargers to just 4 points from Adams in the final frame.
“We just got lazy,” Porter said. “We thought the game was won. If we hadn’t played that way in the first half, it would have been a way closer game.”
“We played really well in the first half and didn’t quite execute well on some stuff in the second half,” Northwood Head Coach Kerri Snipes added following the win. “But overall they continue to play hard. We just need to clean up, especially putting four quarters together.”
Snipes said she changed up the defense in the second half and the Chargers got out of sync.
“We had some different people in there at different times that aren’t used to always playing together,” she said.
On the plus side, she said, her players worked the ball well, looked for their teammates, made good passes and hit each other in open court, underneath the basket and outside, as well. Eight players scored in the well-balanced offensive barrage, which saw Adams also in double digits with 13 points.
“We just talked to the girls at halftime about not quitting, and fighting. Don’t give up,” said Southern Alamance Head Coach Amy Sarrett, calling Northwood “probably the best team we’ve faced all year.” MaxPreps ranks Northwood 19th in the state, fourth in the 3A class.
The Patriots had three players in double digits. Meilani Patterson scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half, and Christina Bowers scored all 14 of her points in the second half. Russell dropped in 10 and joined Bowers as all-tournament players.
Northwood, which has set a goal of making it to the state championship game this year after dropping a loss in the Final Four last season, should be even stronger down the stretch. Junior Te’Keyah Bland, a top performer last year, has returned to limited action after being sidelined for four months.
Snipes said with Bland back in the lineup, she and post player senior Caroline Allen can get more looks inside with their height advantage.
“I feel OK,” Bland said. “I know it will take some time, but other than that it’s a slow recovery. Coach Snipes does a good job of making sure if I’m OK and if I need to come out.”
Bland struggled with a shin fracture for three years before getting surgery.
“My tibia bone is kind of cracked in half,” and her physician gave her a stern warning, Bland said. “He said any wrong move I could have snapped it in half.”
The most challenging part of her comeback?
“I’m not the same player I used to be. That’s probably it,” Bland said. “Some more time (and) it will come.”