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GATESVILLE – Seventy-eight is more than thirty-three, but the latter number loomed larger than the first number here Tuesday night.

Thanks to a stifling, in-your-face defense that forced 33 turnovers, Gates County’s varsity girls raced past East Wake Academy, 78-36, in opening round action of the 2025 NCHSAA State Basketball Playoffs.

The win advances the Lady Barons (23-2 overall) and seeded #11 in the Eastern Class 1A bracket, to Friday’s second round. There they will travel to face #6 North Duplin (22-4 overall) in a 6 p.m. game.

With Tuesday’s 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.

Lady Barons (78)

Zebriya Woodley – 18, Zoey Nowell – 15, Semayia Cross – 10, Zariah Rogers – 10, London Barber – 9, Semiyah Saunders – 8, Kamryn Riddick – 6, Ny’Ashia Perry – 2.

Lady Eagles (36)

Emma Roche – 26, Lelia Gonzalez – 6, Reese Butler – 4.