#12 (23-3) Southeast Alamance at #21 (11-10) Greene Central: Playoff Preview

Southeast Alamance and Greene Central meet in the first round of the 2A State Playoffs in what will be their first-ever matchup. Both teams enter with different paths, with Southeast Alamance finishing second in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A split conference at 14-2 and Greene Central battling through a deep conference where five teams made the playoffs, finishing 6-6.

Greene Central has been more successful on the road this season, posting a 6-3 record away from home. The Rams averaged 47.2 points per game, 37 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 10.7 steals, and 4.0 blocks. They started the season hot with four straight wins before suffering a 56-33 loss to Kinston. A rough stretch followed where they lost eight of twelve games before regaining form by winning three of their last four.

The Rams are led by junior An’nysha Wooten, who averages 14.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. Senior Sykiah Lancaster adds 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals. Junior Jayce Russell contributes 7.6 points and 10 rebounds per game, while sophomore Janiyah Sutton leads the team in steals with 3.8 per game while adding 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Southeast Alamance comes in as a strong contender, finishing second in a conference where sixteen of their twenty-six games were league matchups. One of their losses came in a tight 51-48 battle against 2A East's number one seed, Seaforth, a team they later defeated 55-53 at home before losing the conference championship 60-46.

Southeast Alamance is an efficient offensive team, averaging 61.5 points, 29.6 rebounds, 14.9 assists, and 19.5 steals per game. Junior point guard Shaniya Taylor leads the way with 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 5.3 steals per game. Junior Clara LaChapelle adds 11.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.4 steals. Freshman Rreanna Johnson provides additional scoring at 11 points per game. The team lacks perimeter shooting depth, with sophomore Natalie Lopez being their primary outside threat, making 36 three-pointers this season.

For Greene Central to have a chance, they will need to control the boards, limit turnovers against Southeast Alamance's pressure defense, and capitalize on second-chance points. Southeast Alamance thrives in transition and will look to use their speed and defensive intensity to create easy scoring opportunities.

This game presents an interesting contrast in styles, with Greene Central relying on rebounding and inside scoring, while Southeast Alamance looks to push the tempo and generate turnovers. The outcome could come down to whether Greene Central can slow the game down and keep Southeast Alamance from dictating the pace.