One of three starters back, North Duplin senior Tateyawna Faison and her teammates open the season Tuesday at Lejeune High School. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Curtain up.
Roll out the basketballs.
The North Duplin girls’ basketball team unveils its 2024-25 season with a new director, a familiar cast of players and several new faces Tuesday evening.
The stage — Lejeune High School.
Tip-off is 6 p.m.
A man who describes basketball as the “love of his life,” newly-minted Rebels head coach Jon Kornegay can’t wait to see the fruits of preseason practice unfold.
“The girls have been working hard,” said Kornegay, who succeeded long-time coach John Oliver after he retired in mid-February due to health concerns.
“We had a great turnout with our summer program. Our coaching staff has thrown a lot at them in terms of how we want to play this season. They have been receptive and picked up those concepts fairly quickly.”
Stocked with size, talent and athleticism, the Rebels return three starters — 1,000-point scorer Addy Higginbotham, senior Tateyawna Faison and junior Lilly Fulghum.
Higginbotham dropped in 13.6 points an outing. Faison provided 9.5 points an outing and could reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career. Fulghum scored 5.6 a game. Also back are sophomore Abigail Norris Brown (3.3 points) and senior Eva Quintanilla (3.4).
Higginbotham and Faison, a pair of all-Carolina 1A picks last season, appeared in all 26 games a year ago.
North Duplin filed an 18-8 worksheet, “three-peated” as the conference tournament champion and reached the second round of the NC High School Athletic Association playoffs last winter.
“I think we can be pretty competitive this season,” said Kornegay, whose bench assistants are Paul Kornegay and James Wolfe. “We’re cautiously optimistic that a combination of girls can pick up the offensive production that was lost to graduation.
“As this is our first season coaching, we’re hoping to establish a program that can have some short and long-term success.”
Kornegay mentioned that freshmen Maddie Brown and Abby Rose could play significant roles this season. Brown will roam around the paint, while Rose could be called upon to help the backcourt.
They’re part of a team that finished 10-2 in the Duplin County middle school ranks last season.
Oliver’s last three teams combined to win 64 contests and log an impressive 35-1 record at home. The 2022 and 2023 teams claimed the Carolina 1A “double” – the league’s regular-season and tournament titles.
All three teams advanced to the NCHSAA playoffs, which included an eastern semifinal-round appearance in 2023. That was the program’s farthest postseason advancement since the 1980s.
“The girls are competitive and will do anything that gives our team a chance to have success,” Kornegay said. “Their participating and engagement in the program have been excellent. They’ve had great attitudes, are fun to be around and are truly a joy to coach.”
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
