Escaping pressure is a main focus for junior guard Jarrod Neal and Fairmont this week against a Northside team that mimics what the Golden Tornadoes try and do defensively. | Scott Schlaufman, The Robesonian
Coach Tony Marshburn and the Northside Monarchs have won 10 straight games. | Rick Scoppe, Daily News
Fairmont's boys basketball team thrives off of the hectic pace and will meet an opponent from the same mold Thursday when the Golden Tornadoes play top-seeded Northside Jacksonville in the 2A Eastern Regional semifinal in Fayetteville.
“They like to run and we like to run. They like to press and we like to press,” Fairmont coach Michael Baker said. “We play man and they play man. I think we both play our styles very well so it should be a good game.”
The statistics for each team mirror each other: Northside (25-3) is averaging four points less than Fairmont’s 73.4 per game average and both dominate the opposition on the glass.
Northside’s star is Jamal Parker, a 6-foot-3 point guard averaging a team-high 20.8 points per game. He lit up North Brunswick for 30 points in last week’s sectional final win and has made a 3-pointer in 17 straight games. Parker has a quick trigger and puts up shots in volume.
“They give him the green light and he doesn’t resist,” Baker said. “We’ll have to get out and guard, but he’s not the only player that can hurt us.”
Northside is the third team from the East Central Conference that Fairmont has faced this postseason. The top-seeded and league champion Monarchs are on a 10-game winning streak and went 4-1 against East Duplin and Clinton this season — teams the Golden Tornadoes ousted by double digits last week.
“We don’t worry about who we play, it’s how we play,” Fairmont senior Charlton Townsend said after the Golden Tornadoes shook off a second-round upset bid. “We got to play like Fairmont and leave it all on the court.”
Northside coach Tony Marshburn talked team chemistry and finding the right pieces that fit in preparation for the Golden Tornadoes.
“We have more players who can do things other than Jamal and that has been important for us,” Marshburn said.
In addition to Parker’s production in the backcourt, junior Josh Cabrera is averaging 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The veteran-led Monarchs are athletic and tall with five players standing at least 6-foot-3.
REGIONAL TIDBITS
Regional play opened Tuesday night in Fayetteville with River Mill Academy’s girls beating Riverside Martin at the Crown Arena while Broughton’s boy held off Hillside at the Crown Coliseum. 1A boys and 4A girls play doubleheaders tonight beginning at 7.
Baker prefers the three-day break over playing on opening night, but has no opinion on playing at the arena versus the coliseum.
“You’ve got to be prepared regardless on when you play,” he said. “I guess if I had to choose, I’d pick more practice and more rest time for our guys.”
Fairmont has played on a neutral court once this season, traveling to UNCP in December for a fifth-place game during the Robeson County Shootout. The basketball goals in Pembroke are attached to the ceiling — like most high school gyms — but Thursday’s backboard and rim is a free-standing combination similar to what’s used in the NBA or the Division I ranks.
The challenging depth adjustment usually benefits players that score in transition, not shooters.
“I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to shooting on a goal like that,” Baker said. “I remember shooting an air ball my first shot in college because I couldn’t tell how far I was from the rim. I thought it was going right in and it fell short. The crowd behind the goal is something else we won’t be used to, but both teams will have to deal with it.”
There are several storylines heading into Eastern Regionals not involving the Golden Tornadoes:
- Five schools will be represented by both its boys and girls teams; nearby Seventy-First is one of those programs.
- Three of the four 4A girls teams entered regional play unbeaten.
- Defending 2A state boys champion Kinston returns to Fayetteville and will battle Bunn in Thursday’s 7 p.m. contest.
- Five-player all-regional teams — in each classification — along with a Most Valuable Player will be announced after Saturday’s championship games at each venue.
- Several big-name prospects will be on display this week, headlined by McDonald’s All-American and North Carolina signee Isaiah Hicks, a 6-foot-8 forward at J.F. Webb. Raleigh Millbrook’s girls have twin sisters Briana and Bria Day. Both have signed with Syracuse.
Fairmont fans are encouraged to park in the west parking lot adjacent to the Crown Coliseum for Thursday’s game. Body paint, artificial noise makers and signs are not allowed inside the Crown Arena.
Fairmont’s student section will have an assigned seating area to avoid interfering with other fans who prefer not to stand during the game.
Tickets will be available at the gate for $9. They can also be purchased in advance on ticketmaster.com but fees will be assessed at checkout.
Eastern Regionals Schedule
BOYS
Class 4A- at Crown Coliseum
Tuesday’s Result: Raleigh Broughton 65, Durham Hillside 49
Tuesday’s Result: Seventy-First 84, Clayton 69
Saturday, noon: Championship at Crown Coliseum
Class 1A- at Crown Arena
Today, 7 p.m.: Rocky Mount Prep (22-3) vs. Camden (21-7)
Today, 8:30: East Carteret (24-5) vs. Pamlico (14-12)
Saturday, 2 p.m.: Championship at Crown Arena
Class 2A- at Crown Arena
Thursday, March 7, 7 p.m.: Kinston (25-2) vs. Bunn (23-6)
Thursday, March 7, 8:30: Jacksonville Northside (25-3) vs. Fairmont (24-5)
Saturday, March 9, 4 p.m.: Championship at Crown Arena
Class 3A- at Crown Coliseum
Friday, March 8, 7 p.m.: Rocky Mount (25-2) vs. West Craven (25-4)
Friday, March 8, 8:30: Eastern Alamance (25-5) vs. Oxford Webb (24-5)
Saturday, March 9, 6 p.m.: Championship at Crown Coliseum
GIRLS
Class 1A- at Crown Arena
Tuesday’s Result: River Mill Academy 64, Riverside Martin 59
Tuesday’s Result: Lejeune 64, East Columbus 59
Saturday, noon: Championship at Crown Arena
Class 4A- at Crown Coliseum
Today, 7 p.m.: Raleigh Millbrook (30-0) vs. Raleigh Broughton (24-5)
Today, 8:30: Southeast Raleigh (28-0) vs. Seventy-First (28-0)
Saturday, 2 p.m.: Championship at Crown Coliseum
Class 3A- at Crown Coliseum
Thursday, 7 p.m.: Northern Guilford (29-1) vs. Chapel Hill (27-1)
Thursday, 8:30: Eastern Wayne (28-1) vs. West Craven (25-5)
Saturday, 4 p.m.: Championship at Crown Coliseum
Class 2A- at Crown Arena
Friday, 7 p.m.: Kinston (24-4) vs. Bunn (23-6)
Friday, 8:30: Jordan-Matthews (26-4) vs. Graham (19-10)
Saturday, 6 p.m.: Championship at Crown Arena
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