We’re four rounds into the North Carolina Independent High School playoffs. There have been plenty of blowouts, but some extremely close games that have come down to the wire, or even one final play. In this article, I’ll be highlighting some of the craziest matchups that have happened thus far in the playoffs.
Wayne Country Day defeats Greenfield at the Buzzer, 69-68
This was by far one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2025 playoffs. Greenfield and Wayne Country Day were two very evenly matched teams, and neither team ever had a substantial lead. The game came down to the final plays, as with just under a minute, Wayne Country Day had the ball and the game was tied at 66. They tried to initiate their offense, but Kobe Edwards of Greenfield came up with a big steal. Unfortunately, the ball got lost on the other end, and Wayne Country Day retained possession.
Jeremiah Mercer for Wayne Country Day split a pair of free throws after getting fouled, putting Wayne Country Day up 67-66. However, on the other end, Edwards blew by his defender and got fouled. He calmly made both free throws, putting Greenfield up 68-67 with just a few seconds remaining. Unfortunately, Wayne Country Day came storming up the court and swung the rock to Jayden Williams in the corner, who drove to the paint and made the game-winning layup as time expired.
It was a rough loss for Greenfield, but they still had a great season. Wayne Country Day would take on Caldwell Academy and Cole Cloer in the next round, where they lost 93-62.
The Burlington School Strikes Down Harrells Christian, 53-48
TBS vs. Harrells was a low-scoring affair that saw both teams get a lot of stops and miss a lot of shots. After a quarter of play, TBS led by one point, with a whopping score of 8-7. However, Burlington struggled with their rebound, as big man Kaden Hammond got into early foul trouble. At the half, Harrells Christian led 27-22.
The game stayed close throughout the second half, as both teams were very evenly matched. However, with four minutes left in the game, Juice Coleman hit a big three for Burlington to put them up one. Antonio Mckoy of Harrells responded on the other end, making a layup that gave them the lead. The game continued in this fashion, but ultimately it was Burlington that found themselves up by a few points with just a minute left. With no shot clock, Harrells had to foul, and TBS only missed one of their seven free throws down the stretch. Harrells would be sent home after losing by five, and Burlington advanced to play Caldwell Academy in the 2A state championship.
Greensboro Day Outlasts Davidson Day, 45-39
In one of the most anticipated matchups, this 3A semifinal game did not disappoint. On one end you had Maine commit Ace Flagg, All-State point guard Jaden Palmore, the winningest coach in North Carolina (Freddy Johnson), and an amazing supporting cast of players such as Marty Giant, Micah Gunter, and Addison Newkirk. On the other team, you had UNC commit Isaiah Denis and 6’10” Will Stevens, who’s getting looked at by just about every major D1 program. The stage was set for a clash of the 3A Titans.
This game didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Both teams played great defense against each other, meaning it was a low-scoring affair. Greensboro Day had home-court advantage and was always leading by a little bit, which meant in the fourth quarter, it was Davidson Day that had to play catch up. They kept hitting threes and shots to keep the game close, but they had to resort to fouling, and Greensboro Day made their free throws.
Ultimately, Greensboro Day would hang on for the win and advance to the 3A state championship. It’s worth noting that Lincoln Vinson didn’t suit up for Davidson Day due to injury; if he had been playing, his great defense and secondary playmaking might’ve swung the game in favor of the Patriots.
Carmel Christian Sends Providence Day Home, 65-60
Upset alert! This dramatic battle between Carmel Christian and PD lasted all of regulation and two overtimes before declaring a winner. Going into this game Providence Day was heavily considered the favorite despite being a lower seed. They had an incredible roster full of talent, advanced to the state championship game last year (where they almost won), and are hosting all of the state championship games on Saturday…it just made sense that they would be there! However, Carmel Christian had other plans.
Much of the upset can be attributed to senior guard Bryce Slay. The Marshall University commit dropped 36 points and hit an incredible step-back three to send the game into double overtime. After being down early in that second overtime, Carmel Christian scored 11 straight points to open up the game and secure the win. Before that second overtime period, neither team led by more than seven points for the entire game. The game was tied eight times, and there were 12 lead changes throughout the game.
This is a momentous occasion for Carmel Christian. Bryce’s father, Tamar Slay, is the head coach of Carmel Christian, and a former collegiate and NBA basketball player. However, he said postgame that advancing to this state championship topped every previous moment, because of how much it meant for his son and their teammates.
There have been some other close matchups as well, but these games were most definitely the most dramatic across the NCISAA playoffs. Make sure to stay tuned on MADE Hoops, as it cover the NCISAA state championships taking place this Saturday!
