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GRANITE QUARRY — If a team is going to get beat in a league as tough as the South Piedmont Conference, you’d think it would be because of seniors who have experience coming out of their ears.
So why was Randy Bingham so frustrated Friday night? Because, for the second time in two weeks, a freshman helped wax his East Rowan girls basketball team.
Last week, it was West Rowan’s Hillary Hampton. Friday night’s diaper dandy of the week was Northwest Cabarrus’ Chrissy Killian, who helped pin loss No. 4 on the struggling Mustang girls.
“She’s going to give somebody a lot of trouble over the next four years, isn’t she?” Bingham wondered aloud after Killian’s 18 points led Northwest to a convincing 61-44 victory.
Killian may have been the leading scorer but Northwest is a South Piedmont Conference contender because coach Scott Burleson has a bench-full of stars. He brought Killian up from the jayvees to join the mix because she was simply playing too well.
“We’re basically 12 deep and that’s a good problem to have,” Burleson said after his Trojans improved to 5-1, 8-1.
Nine of the 12 scored as Northwest played its typical game. A scoring streak here, a defensive flurry there and a 17-point victory in the books.
The loss in front of the home crowd left the Mustangs (2-3, 4-4) visibly upset afterward. Bingham was seen outside the locker room consoling at least one of his players.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I thought we played pretty well in the first quarter but in the second quarter, I could see it slip.”
The first 11 minutes of the game were quite entertaining. There were five ties and 12 lead changes.
East led 10-8 before Northwest scored the first quarter’s final six points for a 14-10 lead. But Haley Shaw, Emily Rich and Stephanie Morgan gave the Mustangs a 16-15 advantage early in the second.
Killian scored on a pretty drive but Shaw drained a pull-up jumper. Jenny Volpicelli hit a jumper but Rich scored on a layup. With 3:38 remaining before halftime, East led 20-19.
And then, a patented Northwest run.
Exactly 90 seconds later, the Trojans were up 27-20 after Killian swooped in for a bucket to complete one of the quickest 8-0 spurts you’ll ever see.
East’s deficit was 29-24 at intermission but 15 turnovers in 16 minutes had Bingham scratching his head.
“We just didn’t protect the basketball,” the second-year coach said. “I never could get anybody in there to handle the ball.”
Burleson was praising East’s rebounding. The Mustangs were taller than the Trojans.
“We knew their rebounding could hurt us and their second shots kept them in the game,” he said. “East played a tenacious game and was good defensively.”
In fact, Northwest had 17 turnovers by halftime. But the Trojans were much better after a halftime talking-to by their coach. Scoring six straight midway through the third had them up by 10 and they cruised the rest of the way.
Parity reigns at Northwest. Killian was the only double-figure scorer but six Trojans had at least seven points.
Rich and Lora Williams led East with 14 apiece.
“We wanted to stop Emily because she’s a great shooter,” said Burleson. “She still got hers.”
And Williams got hers despite being banged up. She is suffering from a bad thumb and shin splints.
“Lora’s legs were killing her,” Bingham said. “She ran out of gas in the first half. She’s had a rough year.”
And Bingham hopes the rough year is about to end.
“A lot of our games, we could’ve won just as easily as we lost,” he said. “But sometimes, when you’re on the losing end, everything they put up there rolls in and everything we put up falls out.
“But we’re going to get better. The Christmas Tournament is going to do us a lot of good.”
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NOTES: Northwest was 19-of-29 from the line while East was a mere 5-of-11. ... Volpicelli is one of the SPC’s top players. She is averaging 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. ... Killian was averaging 4 points coming in. ... Burleson is 57-33 in four years.
NW CABARRUS (61) — Killian 18, Archey 8, Volpicelli 8, Florence 8, Baumgardner 7, Damewood 7, Dobard 2, Morrison 2, Edwards 1.
EAST ROWAN (44)— E. Rich 14, Williams 14, Morgan 6, Shaw 4, M. Rich 2, Cress 2, Ivey 2, Ingold, MacLamroc, Mundy, Haynes, Huffman.
NW Cabarrus 14 15 13 19 — 61
East Rowan 10 14 8 12 — 44
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