MOORESVILLE — South Rowan’s girls used their best shooting of the season to take a 48-43 non-conference high school basketball victory over Mooresville here Tuesday night.
Coach James Greene’s Raiders shot 50 percent (10-for-20) in the second half and 41.9 percent (18-for-43) for the game while improving their record to 2-6.
South led most of the night, but still had to pull away from a 33-all deadlock early in the fourth quarter to get the win. The Raiders outscored Mooresville 13-4 to take the biggest lead of the night at 46-37 with 3:31 to play.
Center Brittney Gaddy had a big game for the Raiders, scoring a game-high 21 points, pulling down a game-high 17 rebounds and blocking five shots.
Quick point guard Katie Willett had her second double-figure game of the season with 10 points and led the Raiders in assists with seven.
“I think that was probably her best game all-around,” said Green of Willett. “She did what she needed to do tonight. She took the ball to the hole and she distributed the ball. She made some nice assists tonight. We do well when we get somebody to help Gaddy out.”
Gaddy has scored in double figures in all eight games. The only other double-figure outings have been two by Willett, one by Aisha Khan and one by Britt Miller.
Greene was pleased with Willett and two other guards, Yost and Miller.
“The guards are coming around. They seem to be growing a little bit before my very eyes,” said the South coach. “They didn’t turn the ball over as much. They handled the press a lot better tonight. They took care of the basketball.”
South committed 41 turnovers in its previous game, a loss to West Rowan, and cut that number down to 30 last night.
Gaddy, who went 6-for-14 from the floor and 9-for-14 at the foul line, scored more than 20 points for the fifth time and drew praise from her coach.
“We harped all summer long about Brittney being more consistent than she was last year. She’s taken our challenge and running with it. She played a good basketball game. She’s really being consistent and setting an example for the young post kids,” he said.
“Alexis (Blackwood) gave us some key rebounds,” he added.
Blackwood, a freshman post player, had 10 rebounds, six of them coming in the fourth quarter.
After Mooresville’s Erica Johanson tied the score early in the fourth quarter, South went on a 6-0 run that included baskets by Yost, Blackwood and Willett. That made it 39-33. Gaddy scored five more points, and Willett added a basket as South broke it open.
Rachel Johns and Lauren Plyler each scored nine points to lead coach Greg Stewart’s Mooresville club, which is 1-5. Plyler, the Blue Devils’ center, got in foul trouble in the first half and eventually fouled out with 3:31 to go.
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NOTES: South will be back in action at home against Northwest Cabarrus at 6 p.m. today in another non-league contest. ... Mooresville attempted 81 shots — 38 more than did South — and made only 15 for 18.5 percent. ... South was 12-for-24 at the foul line, while the home team went 13-for-23. ... Gaddy and Blackwood led South to a 43-42 edge on the boards. ... Rebekah Faulise led Mooresville on the boards with nine rebounds. ... Mooresville had 16 turnovers.
SOUTH ROWAN (48) — Raper 4, Khan 6, Gaddy 21, Willett 10, Yost 2, Blackwood 3, Efird, Miller 2, Brown, Littlejohn.
MOORESVILLE (43) — Faulise 3, Johns 9, Plyler 9, Pardew 7, Swearengin 5, Johanson 2, Duquett 6, Alexander 2.
South Rowan 15 8 10 15 — 48
Mooresville 11 9 11 12 — 43
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