LAURINBURG — Scotland’s boys basketball team could have more than just a rivalry win to celebrate if it defeats Richmond in the regular-season finale at home on Friday.
Recent 4A state playoff projections published on HighSchoolOT.com, WRAL’s platform for statewide high school sports coverage, feature six Sandhills Athletic Conference teams getting bids. Scotland isn’t one of those teams, but they have a chance to potentially change that before the weekend begins.
Hoke, Jack Britt and Scotland are in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference. They sit behind fourth-place Lumberton (7-6), third-place Richmond (8-5), second-place Pinecrest (9-4) and conference leader Seventy-First (10-3). The only team below the tie for fifth place is Purnell Swett (3-10).
Seventy-First faces Jack Britt, Hoke plays Pinecrest and Lumberton squares off with Purnell Swett on Friday night.
Under the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s playoff format, the top two teams from conferences with five to eight teams will receive automatic bids. The top finisher from conferences with one to four teams gets a bid, and the top three teams from conferences with nine or more teams receive automatic bids as well.
That means three of the SAC’s eight teams will receive bids.
After the top two teams from each conference receive their bids, the next-highest finishing teams from each league in each respective classification are added to a list and compared based on their MaxPreps rankings — although the rankings are adjusted so that they do not account for margin of victory. Whomever has the best MaxPreps ranking on that list is given an at-large bid.
Conference tournament champions are given at-large bids if they don’t already have an automatic bid. Conferences do not lose automatic bids if the tournament champion is given an at-large entry.
The next highest-finishing school in each conference will then become eligible for an at-large bid, and the list will reset. In the 4A classification, this process is repeated until the 48-team playoff bracket is filled.
The Scots need to win on Friday to give themselves their best shot at a bid, but the rivalry game means more than that for Scotland’s three seniors, who will play in their school’s home gym for the final time.
Adonis Jackson, Khalib Simmons and Bryant Williams are ready for a shot at revenge after the Raiders defeated the Scots 59-50 in Rockingham earlier this year.
“This game is going to be one of the most important games we play all year,” said Williams, a post player for the Scots. “It’s going to put us in the playoffs. And it’s senior night, it’s our last game, so we’ve got to win.”
The Scots got a key win at Lumberton on Tuesday night. Scotland completed a season sweep of the Pirates with the win, a feat they accomplished against both of the conference’s Robeson County-based schools. The Scots defeated Purnell Swett twice this season as well.
Scotland’s guards stepped up in the 60-57 win at Lumberton. The Scots made seven 3-pointers that night. Simmons made two of them, and Jackson made one in the fourth quarter.
Jackson said head coach Matt Justin’s philosophy has helped him improve his jumper this season.
“The way coach sets it up, he builds your confidence,” Jackson said. “If you’re open, shoot it. If you can take it in, shoot it. If you miss it, get back.”
Justin said he hopes his team brings momentum from Tuesday night’s win when they suit up for their rivalry game. Justin said he told his seniors to embrace their final opportunity to play in front of their home crowd.
“We have a chance to control our own destiny,” Justin said. “I think the kids are excited about that. We just need to work hard today (Thursday) and go in tomorrow with a positive mindset and let the chips fall.”
The Scots know what could happen if they win on Friday, and they also know the consequences of coming up short. Having to earn an at-large bid by winning the conference tournament is not a path the team wants to take.
“We want to play hard and get a W,” Simmons said. “Winning is most important.”
Scotland’ girls basketball team, which is in seventh place in the SAC, will host the Lady Raiders at 6 p.m. The boys will take the floor at approximately 7:30.
It’s the last time Scotland’s seniors will play a regular-season game in Laurinburg, but they plan on playing for a while longer in the postseason.
“We’re going to play to win,” Williams said. “We’re going to try to win it all.”
