Kinston’s boys basketball team finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the final statewide media 2A poll.
The Vikings earned a No. 1 seed for the state playoffs to go along with it.
Kinston, the defending 2A state champion which completed its run to seventh consecutive Eastern Plains 2A Conference regular season and tournament titles on Friday, were awarded the top overall seed Saturday in the 2A East bracket of this year’s NCHSAA state basketball playoffs, which begin Monday.
The top seed means the Vikings (22-2), who earned the spot by having the highest overall win percentage (.917) in the East, will have home-court advantage until the regionals, which will be played in Fayetteville.
Kinston will host 16-seeded Northwest Halifax (13-9) at a time yet to be determined.
In all eight teams from the area reached the state playoffs, which were seeded 1-16 by region for the second straight year, Ayden-Grifton’s boys and Kinston’s girls join its boys as the only area teams to host first round games on Monday.
Ayden-Grifton (13-11), seeded seventh and finished second in the Carolina 1A Conference, will host No. 10 Pender County (12-13) on Monday at 7 p.m.
Kinston’s third-seeded girls (21-4) will host No. 14 Franklinton, also at a time to be determined.
Per the NCHSAA handbook, sites that have only one game are suggested to begin at 7 p.m. and sites with doubleheaders — in Kinston’s case — are suggested to begin Game 1 at 6:30, but ultimately the decision is up to the schools.
After the NCHSAA made the pairings official shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday, area athletic directors were having trouble reaching the ADs of their opponents to schedule their games.
South Lenoir’s boys (14-10) were seeded 13th in the 2A Mideast bracket and will travel to No. 4 North Brunswick (16-8) for a 6 p.m. game on Monday. South Lenoir’s 10th-seeded girls (17-6) will travel to No. 7 East Bladen (21-6) on Monday and will also play at 6.
In the 3A East North Lenoir’s boys (13-13) were seeded 14th and will travel to No. 3 West Craven (22-4) for a 7:30 p.m. game as part of a doubleheader.
Greene Central’s girls (9-15), seeded 15th in the 2A East, will travel to No. 2 Pittsboro Northwood (22-4) to kick off a doubleheader on Monday at 6 p.m.
Ayden-Grifton’s girls (8-15), seeded 14th, will open the playoffs at No. 3 East Columbus (17-5) at a time to be determined.
Missing out on the playoffs this year were Jones Senior’s boys and girls and Greene Central’s boys.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
Breakout box:
NCHSAA basketball pairings
Pairings for area schools for Monday’s opening round of the NCHSAA state basketball playoffs. Some schools had not set a time for their games by deadline on Saturday. According to the NCHSAA handbook, sites with only one game should play at 7 p.m. and sites with two games (girls and boys) should begin at 6:30 p.m., but ultimately it is up to the schools. See Kinston.com or Monday’s edition of The Free Press for a complete list of times:
BOYS
1A: (10) Pender Co. (12-13) at (7) Ayden-Grifton (13-11), 7 p.m., single-game site
2A: (16) NW Halifax (13-9) at (1) Kinston (22-2), TBD, doubleheader site
2A: (13) S. Lenoir (14-10) at (4) N. Brunswick (16-8), 6 p.m., single-game site
3A: (14) N. Lenoir (13-13) at (3) W. Craven (22-4), 7:30 p.m., doubleheader site
GIRLS
1A: (14) Ayden-Grifton (8-15) at (3) E. Columbus (17-5), TBD, doubleheader site
2A: (14) Franklinton (11-14) at (3) Kinston (21-4), TBD, doubleheader site
2A: (10) S. Lenoir (17-6) at (7) E. Bladen (21-6), 6 p.m., single-game site
2A: (15) Greene Central (9-15) at (2) Pittsboro Northwood (22-4), 6 p.m., doubleheader site