Fighting Scots look to shake up the playoffs

LAURINBURG —The Fighting Scots boys’ basketball team has qualified for the playoffs for the first time in two years. The Scots are seeded No. 23 in the East Region and will face No. 10 West Brunswick Trojans Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Scotland has everything in front of them and will be looking to prove the doubters wrong as they continue their playoff quest. Here are three things to keep your eyes on.

Scots Still Have Work To Do

Scotland can celebrate their playoff berth, but the team recognizes that there is still work to be done. Over the last month of the season, the Scots finished 3-3, averaging 52.2 points per game while allowing 60.7 on defense. The recurring issue has been a second-half fade. In two of their three losses this month, Scotland has led at the end of the first half but were outscored 77-38 in the second half.

“We’ve shown we can play with anyone in the first half,” head coach Jarvis Cobb said after Monday’s practice. “But we have preached staying focused in the second half, sticking with the gameplan and continuing to play hard for four quarters.”

The Scots will have their work cut out in a game of this magnitude; the margin for error is slim, but when the stakes are the highest, the best teams rise to the occasion.

Playoff Experience

One of the biggest factors heading into this game is Scotland’s lack of playoff experience. Adding to that, Cobb is in his first year as head coach and several returning players have yet to compete in the postseason. Will their non-experience show up?

“Everything we’ve done up to this point doesn’t matter; everyone in the playoffs has the same record, 0-0. And we’re all trying to take advantage of the opportunity we have in front of us. The guys are focused and ready for this game,” Cobb said.

“The brotherhood is stronger than the experience,” sophomore guard Maddox McNickle said. “I truly believe that we can beat any team as long as we continue to push forward and play with that underdog mentality.”

Senior forward Shylan Harrell is the lone player on the team with previous playoff experience and added advice for his teammates:

“Not wasting this opportunity, sure it’s good we made the playoffs; however, we have to stick to Coach Cobb’s gameplan throughout the game, and we will walk away with a win.”

Scotland is 5-6 on the road, while West Brunswick is 10-4 at home.

Facing the Favorites

Looking ahead, the top four seeds in the East Region are Northern Nash, J.H. Rose, E.E. Smith and Seventy-First. If the Scots defeat West Brunswick, they will face the No. 7 seed Terry Sanford Bulldogs, a team that swept them and handed them a lopsided 78-38 loss in the final game of the regular season.

“We’re in this thing to win and advance to play Terry Sanford and get some revenge,” McNickle said.

This will be a challenging road for Scotland, as they enter the playoffs as the second-to-lowest seed; all odds are against them. All of Scotland’s wins this season have come up against teams with losing records.

“We’re using the doubt as fuel; let’s beat someone no one expects us to and continue to make the outsiders mad,” Cobb said.