LUMBERTON — The two Robeson County basketball teams that claimed conference tournament championships last week are the last two teams still alive in the NCHSAA state playoffs that continue tonight.
No. 3 Fairmont (27-1) hosts No. 14 Hertford (16-10) for a 6 p.m. tipoff in the 2A East second round, and No. 12 Lumberton (23-4) travels to No. 5 Holly Springs (19-5) for a 7 p.m. contest.
Fairmont looks to improve its win streak to 25 games when it takes on the second-place team out of the Northeastern Coastal Conference.
The Bears held off Cummings in the first round with an 82-76 win. Senior guards Talik Totten and Zion Riddick scored in double figures in the win and both have led the Hertford offense this season. Totten is averaging 19 points per outing this season.
Those guards will go against the teeth of the Fairmont defense spearheaded by Derrick Arnette and Corry Addison. That pair, along with Jaquan Hinson helped Fairmont claim a 72-33 win at home over Graham in the first round.
Lumberton travels to the top seed out of the South Wake Conference and the Lady Golden Hawks have won nine consecutive games entering today’s contest in the 4A East region.
Leading the way for Holly Springs are seniors Samantha Weaver and Jada Kearney and junior Kiana Carter. All three come in averaging more than 10 points per game, with Weaver leading the trio at 19 points and 10 rebounds per game.
The Lady Pirates have won eight straight games coming into this contest after downing Seventy-First in the first round, 66-34. London Thompson and Madison Canady combined to score 36 points and used the scoring from some of the supporting cast to fuel the win.
Holly Springs received a first-round bye.
