Basketball state playoffs: Wheatmore girls draw bye, other county teams will play in first round

Only the Wheatmore girls’ team received a first-round bye among basketball teams from Randolph County when the pairings for the state playoffs were unveiled Saturday.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released brackets that included an intra-county matchup in the first round.

Three rounds will be this week, with Tuesday’s first round, Thursday’s second and Saturday’s third round.

Regional finals are in either Greenville (East Region) or Hickory (West Region) on March 4-7. The state finals are set for March 11-14 in Winston-Salem.

Here’s a look at area teams:

*** BOYS ***

In Class 3A, Providence Grove is No. 9 in the West Region with a home game vs. West Caldwell, with the winner going to eighth-seeded Lincolnton.

No. 20 seed Wheatmore goes to No. 13 seed Pine Lake Prep.

Eastern Randolph is the No. 22 seed in the East Region with a matchup at No. 11 seed North Carolina School of Science and Math. The winner visits sixth-seeded Northwood.

Trinity didn’t make the field.

Class 4A

Randleman is the No. 9 seed in the East Region with a home game vs. No. 24 seed North Johnston, with the winner visiting Bunn.

Uwharrie Charter Academy is the No. 11 seed on that bracket with a home game vs. No. 22 seed Graham. No. 6 seed SouthWest Edgecombe takes on the winner.

Also in that bracket is No. 17 seed Southwestern Randolph, which travels to No. 16 seed Anson County with top-seeded Reidsville awaiting the winner.

Class 6A

No. 13 seed Asheboro is home vs. No. 20 seed Sun Valley. The winner goes to No. 4 seed Asheville Roberson.

*** GIRLS ***

In Class 3A, Central Carolina 3-A Conference champion Wheatmore received a bye as the No. 7 seed in the West Region, facing either No. 10 Lincolnton or No. 23 Patton in the second round.

Also in the West Region, No. 21 seed Trinity visits No. 12 seed Shelby with the winner traveling to No. 5 seed Hendersonville.

In the East Region, No. 13 seed Providence Grove is home vs. No. 20 seed Eastern Randolph in the first round. The winner heads to Four County Conference champion Northwood, the No. 4 seed.

Class 4A

Ninth-seeded Southwestern Randolph starts at home vs. fellow Four Rivers Conference member Jordan-Matthews, the No. 24 seed, in the East Region. The winner travels to eighth-seeded East Duplin.

No. 10 seed Uwharrie Charter Academy has a home date with No. 23 seed Southwest Onslow. Seventh-seeded North Johnston is the foe for the winner.

Randleman, the No. 13 seed, is home vs. No. 20 seed Carrboro, with No. 4 seed Nash Central awaiting the winner.

Class 6A

Asheboro is home as the No. 15 seed vs. No. 18 seed Piedmont, with the winner going to No. 2 seed Alexander Central.