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The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Gates County’s varsity girls basketball team experienced both emotions last week in the 2025 NCHSAA Class 1A State Basketball Playoffs.

The Lady Barons won their playoff opener at home vs. East Wake Academy on Feb. 25 before seeing their season come to an end with a 58-45 setback at North Duplin on Feb. 28.

Thanks to a stifling, in-your-face defense that forced 33 turnovers, Gates County raced past East Wake Academy, 78-36, in opening round action.

With that game tied at 2-2, GCHS head coach Hope Melton signaled for her squad to deploy full-court defensive pressure. That paid immediate dividends as a turnover produced a three-point basket by Zebriya Woodley, staking her team to a lead they would never surrender.

Gates County would go on to connect on seven of its next 16 shots from the field, with three of those baskets coming off turnovers, and a commanding 21-4 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Zariah Rogers had a deuce and a trey while London Barber added a basket and an old-fashioned three-point play to highlight Gates County’s run of 14 unanswered points to close the period.

The lead quickly grew to 20 points (24-4) when Rogers opened the second quarter with a three-pointer. Two baskets from Woodley, part of her team-high 18 points, sandwiched around a steal and layup by Kamryn Riddick extended Gates County’s lead to 30-7 with just under four minutes remaining until halftime.

Zoey Nowell scored twice from the field in the closing minutes of the second period, helping her team build a 38-16 halftime lead.

If there was any doubt to how this game would end, Gates County erased those thoughts to open the third quarter. There, the Lady Barons connected on their first three shots – a three-pointer each from Woodley and Semayia Cross sandwiched around a basket off an offensive rebound by Woodley as the lead swelled to 30 points (46-16) less than two minutes into the period.

Later in the period, Gates County went on another offensive tear, this one resulting in five consecutive baskets – two from Cross and one each by Nowell, Ny’Ashia Perry, and Semiyah Saunders – that allowed the Lady Barons to build a 59-23 lead.

Back-to-back treys from Nowell, two deuces by Riddick, and a Saunders basket highlighted a 12-6 run and a 40-point lead (74-34) with just under three minutes left in the game.

Woodley led the Lady Barons with 18 points. Nowell added 15 and Rogers and Cross chipped in 10 each. Barber (9), Saunders (8), Riddick (6), and Perry (2) rounded out the GCHS scoring.

The loss at North Duplin ended Gates County’s outstanding season at 23-3 overall.