As the tide shifts into March, the NC 8a Men’s Basketball state playoffs are heating up. Tuesday night kickstarted the action, with 8 contests tipping off.
The Gators finished the regular season with an 8-16 overall record, getting the 12th overall seed in the east region. In the first round of the playoffs they were matched up with conference foe Willow Spring, who came in as the 5th overall seed in the east with a 20-7 record.
The Gators were previously 1-2 against the Storm this season. Most recently, the two collided in the Quad City 7 conference tournament, ending with the Storm taking a 57-53 victory. In the first matchup between the foes, the Storm also came out with a 64-54 win. In the second matchup, the Gators got the best of the Storm, coming out with a 57-51 victory.
The Gators controlled the entire flow of the game from the first tip. A huge first quarter lead of 15-6 allowed the Gators to have momentum. The momentum remained, as they held a 14 point lead at halftime, 39-25.
“We got going on offense really early, Camden and Ian both hit a lot of big shots early,” said Senior Garrett Midkiff, as to what allowed the Gators to gain momentum in the game.
The Gators continued to wither the storm, maintaining a double digit lead throughout the game. In the end, the Gators pulled out the upset 75-58, knocking out their conference foe.
Senior Andrew Schall was the main motor for the Gators, scoring 26 points on 6/8 shooting from the field. Senior Ian Teague splashed in 15 points, Senior Camden Miller had 9, and Seniors Garrett Midkiff and Tyson Miller both had 8.
Not only did the Gators pull off a big upset, but another storyline was written in the history books. Previously held by Class of 2024 graduate Tye Cain, Senior Garrett Midkiff now holds the all-time Green Level assist record at 237, after an 8 assist game on Tuesday night.
“It feels really great, it’s been in the back of my mind for a lot of the season, so finally getting it feels really rewarding,” Midkiff explained as his emotion after achieving the accomplishment.
Shifting back toward the playoffs, the Gators will now turn their attention to cross town rivals Panther Creek. The Catamounts earned the 4 seed in the east with a 17-8 record. In the previous matchups the Catamounts have gotten the Gators twice, winning both games in the season series.
The Gators will look to change the narrative of this series tonight. Tip off will be at 7pm, go look to support the Gators as they keep trekking to a state championship.
