“Black and Blue Battle” – Vikings of North Mecklenburg take on the Lions of West Charlotte – 12-13-19
Despite the fact that Vance and Hopewell were playing down the street (a 55-50 Hopewell victory), I bypassed that seemingly more compelling game to check out the battle between the Vikings of North Mecklenburg and the Lions of West Charlotte.…
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Continue ReadingDespite the fact that Vance and Hopewell were playing down the street (a 55-50 Hopewell victory), I bypassed that seemingly more compelling game to check out the battle between the Vikings of North Mecklenburg and the Lions of West Charlotte. These were two teams that I had yet to see play this year and at least for a half, the 4-4 Lions put up quite a fight against the 7-1 Vikings. The first 16 minutes was an exciting, well played, run and gun affair that ended up 48-32 at the break. Ultimately, the depth, discipline and overall skill of the Vikings led to the blowout final of 89-49. Yet I did learn a lot about both teams, which I will chronicle below:
- The North Mecklenburg Vikings are deep, talented and well-coached. The starters for North Mecklenburg are very good. Along with Player of the Year candidate Jessica Timmons, Coach Jennifer Baker rolls out 5’5″ Senior Guard Nye’mah Smith (4 points), 5’5″ Sophomore Guard Taylor Dunn (15 points), 5’10” Sophomore PF Alisha Harris (8 points), and 5’10” Senior Center Alonna Dunlap (9 points). They are a cohesive unit that guards. Boy, do they GUARD! These ladies fly around the court with good athleticism and solid defensive principles and make life miserable for the ball handlers on the other team. What they lack in height, they definitely make up for in intensity. Yet, the thing that really stood out is the overall depth of the squad and how liberally coach Baker substitutes. Baker played 10 players in the FIRST QUARTER. This meant that when they were on the court, everyone played hard defensively (either because they knew they wouldn’t be in for long or because they knew if they didn’t guard, they would be sitting on the bench). These ladies displayed the best sustained defense that I have seen any team play all season.
- Barring unforeseen circumstances, this team is going to be good for a long time. Here are the 5 players who were the first five off the bench for North Mecklenburg: 5’10” Freshman Forward Zoe Henderson, 5’4″ Freshman Guard Nevaeh Farmer, 5’8″ Freshman Guard Jael Poole, 5’8″ Freshman Forward Jaden Redfern, and 5’6″ Freshman Guard Dearia Page. Notice a pattern. These 5 freshmen are competing in crunch time action and aren’t just playing, they are contributing. Farmer (12 points) immediately changed the pace of the game with intense defense, a solid floor game and dead-eye outside shooting. Henderson has good basketball instincts and contributed on both ends of the court. Poole is a plus athlete who chipped in 4 points and multiple hustle plays. Redfern and Page are not yet quite ready for prime time, but both showed flashes that bode well for the future of the Viking program.
- Jessica Timmons gets anywhere on the court she wants to and is a phenomenal player and leader. The great thing about covering the teams and athletes in this area is the ridiculous amount of talent that is congregated in the Tar Heel state. I mentioned Timmons in my 5 to watch back in the preseason. Friday night, she had an “easy” 33. She wasn’t gunning or basket hanging. She made a concerted effort to get her teammates involved and she led by example on the offensive and defensive end. I can’t wait until Tuesday night to see her lead her team against Aniyah Finger and an undefeated Hopewell squad.
- West Charlotte’s Dynamic Duo of 5’8″ Senior Guard Kamiah Moore and 5’10” Sophomore Forward Halle Chaffin will give the Lions a puncher’s chance every time they step on the floor. The reality is West Charlotte isn’t an ultra talented team. However, the aforementioned Moore and Chaffin don’t have to take a backseat to anyone. Moore competes and is an accomplished scorer who led her team with 20 points against the Vikings. Chaffin is even more interesting. She plays hard and with a competitive, borderline mean streak. No matter the score, she continued to stay the course and hustle. She scored 17 points despite missing 7 foul shots. This young lady is a plus athlete with significant upside. If she works on her footwork and her mid range game, the sky is the limit. I look forward to watching her development over the next couple of years.
- Is It Tuesday Yet? Midway through the 3rd quarter it became apparent that the Vikings were winning this game. Back in week one of the season, another of the area’s phenoms, Braylyn Milton of Independence, hit a game winning, buzzer beating half court shot to hand the Vikings their first and only defeat. That miracle heave is the only thing keeping us from a battle of unbeatens when North Mecklenburg hosts Hopewell Tuesday night. In the immortal words of NFL Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens – “Get Your Popcorn Ready!” I cannot wait to see these two teams slug it out for district supremacy. On a neutral court, I’d probably give the slightest of edges to Hopewell. However, the game will be at North and word on the street is that starting Point Guard Layla
Wall of Hopewell is dealing with a leg injury that may limit her. This is anybody’s game, and I for one will be front and center when these two talented teams tip it off.