Spruill rallies Rocky Mount High past Southern Nash

Before Tuesday night’s game – Senior Night at Rocky Mount High – Gryphons senior guard Emmanuel Spruill told his father he would turn to the bleachers and point at him after every made shot.

Spruill drained his first 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer, with the help of bounces off the backboard and rim.

Point to the bleachers.

He swished his second triple early in the second quarter, moments after Rocky Mount High coach Mike Gainey had yelled at him to shoot the ball.

Turn to the stands, point with index finger.

Spruill would repeat that same routine often in his 27-point outburst (seven 3-pointers) in Rocky Mount High’s 62-54 comeback victory over Southern Nash on Tuesday night.

“I’ve been on that kid about shooting the ball more, and he really shot it (Tuesday),” Gainey said. “We got some aggressive baskets down low, but we needed some scoring from other places.”

The Gryphons (4-14 overall, 4-4 Big East) outscored Southern Nash, 25-9, in the fourth quarter.

Southern Nash (12-8, 5-4) led by eight after three quarters, but Rocky Mount High went on a 10-0 run in the first 1:39 of the fourth quarter to take an improbable lead.

Spruill started the run with a 3-pointer from near the volleyball line painted on the Gryphons’ court, past NBA range. Sherrod Greene followed with a floater, then a steal off Rocky Mount High’s press, which he converted (after an offensive rebound) into another layup.

Spruill then hit another 3 from the wing, in front of a raucous contingent of Rocky Mount High students, for a 47-45 lead, forcing a Firebirds timeout.

“That shot from the volleyball line, that’s when I knew it was probably just my night,” Spruill said. “For me, I just have to make a few to get that confidence, and then I feel like I can go for 30 or 40.”

Rocky Mount High’s pressure defense forced three critical Southern Nash turnovers during that spurt, and the Firebirds’ inability to keep Greene and Artavious Richardson off the offensive glass prevented them from building on what felt, after three quarters, like a relatively safe lead.

“I just felt like we weren’t really ready to play tonight,” Southern Nash coach Robbie Kennedy said. “I don’t know if it was because we had beaten them twice already this year, or what. But I thought if we could get a few baskets there at the start of the (fourth), we could put it away.”

Instead, the Firebirds found themselves in a dogfight. Tyler Wilson’s 3 from the wing with just under three minutes remaining gave the Firebirds a 50-49 lead, but Spruill answered with a runner and a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Greene followed with a steal and layup, before two free throws from Isaiah Morris put the Gryphons up, 58-52, with 1:06 left.

Southern Nash had an opportunity to close within two inside the final 40 seconds, but Wilson missed an open layup, and Rocky Mount High hit four of six free throws down the stretch to close out the Firebirds.

Kennedy was disappointed after Tuesday’s game, knowing that a win would’ve moved the Firebirds to 6-3 in conference play with Nash Central – which fell to 6-3 with an overtime loss at Wilson Hunt on Tuesday – coming to Bailey on Friday night, an outright Big East title on the line.

Rocky Mount High, after an 0-3 start, is right in the thick of the playoffs race with trips to Wilson Fike and Northern Nash left on the schedule.

GIRLS

RM HIGH 44

SOUTHERN NASH 12Rocky Mount High took care of business on Tuesday night, holding Southern Nash to three first-half points and pulling away in the third quarter for a 44-12 win.

Keyanna Spivey led Rocky Mount High (11-7 overall, 4-4 Big East) with 10 points. Michelle Gainey added eight and Mya Pittman added seven.

Caitlin Batchelor paced the Ladybirds (0-20, 0-9) with five points.

The Gryphons still have it all to play for this week. Pam Gainey’s team travels to third-place Wilson Fike (5-3 Big East) today for a huge contest, then goes to Northern Nash (6-2) on Friday. Rocky Mount High played Fike and Dajah Horne (41 points) tough last Friday in a 72-64 loss.

BOYS
Rocky Mount High 62
Southern Nash 54
SN 15 15 15 9 – 54
RMH 13 14 10 25 – 62
SN: Tyler Wilson 13; Damien Bryant 11; Marquise Wright 9; Chris Lucas 7; Luke Bailey 6; Matt Hampton 4; Dae’one Wilkins 3; Darius Edmondson 1
RMH: Emmanuel Spruill 27; Artavious Richardson 9; Sherrod Greene 8; Isaiah Morris 6; Kyle Barnhill 5; Latrell Daniels 4; Rodney Alston 3.

GIRLS
Rocky Mount High 44
Southern Nash 12
SN 1 2 7 2 – 12
RMH 8 9 20 7 – 44
SN: Caitlin Batchelor 5; Jessy Lucas 4; Aaliyah Newkirk 2; Dasia Allen 1.
RMH: Keyanna Spivey 10; Michelle Gainey 8; Mya Pittman 7; Ashley Hatfield 6; Shelby Meeks 5; Jarneese Carey 2.

By FOSTER LANDER

Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram

Tuesday, February 9, 2016