Martin County and North Lenoir face off in a first-round playoff rematch, with Martin County’s strong inside game and North Lenoir’s late-season resurgence setting up an intriguing battle between two teams that finished third in their respective conferences.
The 2A State Playoffs bring a conference rematch as No. 14 seed Kinston (21-3) hosts No. 19 seed Southwest Onslow (12-8) in the first round. These two teams are familiar foes, having faced each other twice already this season, with Kinston winning both matchups—51-37 and 46-37. Despite past results, this game is set up to be another competitive battle between two strong defensive teams.
The 2025 ECC Girls Conference Tournament tips off Tuesday, with No. 2 Kinston, No. 6 North Lenoir, and No. 7 South Lenoir set to compete for a shot at the championship.
North Lenoir secured its third straight victory with a hard-fought 51-50 win over James Kenan, overcoming a late rally to stay in the playoff hunt behind strong performances from Cristian Veal, Julian Veal, and AJ Black.
Kinston improved to 17-2 (8-2 conference) with a dominant 60-31 win over South Lenoir, pulling away in the second half behind strong performances from Ariyonna Willis, Nasheyla Mason, and J’Riyanna Edwards.
Jacob Howard’s consistent scoring and dominance in the paint earned him Athlete of the Week honors after leading South Lenoir to two wins in three games.