So far, the Cavs, who are minus Megan Honeycutt, No. 2 scorer in school history, are adjusting more quickly than their rivals. That explains why the Cavalier girls are 7-0. That explains why they’re seeded No. 1 for the upcoming Christmas Tournament, and that explains how they overwhelmed West 56-41 on Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers have now won seven in a row for the first time since Honeycutt was a freshman in 1996-97 and have won seven straight to start the season for the first time since the Gail Garrison-led team of 1980-81. And that was well before any of the current team members were born.

“It’s sort of scary,” said North coach Gary Atwell, whose team will be the top seed in the Christmas Tournament for the second straight year. “We’ve been the top seed, but obviously, we’ve never been 7-0 going in to the tournament. I know I sure didn’t expect us to be 7-0.”

But North has played just two games decided by single digits. North has managed to replace Honeycutt’s points and rebounding because it’s deeper than it’s been in a long while and because it’s playing defense better than it has in a long while.

“Defensively, we’re moving very well and this team talks to each other on defense and covers up for each other better than any team I’ve ever coached,” said Atwell.

That’s saying something, because Atwell has been coaching the Cavs for 16 years.

West coach Angie Waddell could only shake her head about that hostile, agile and mobile North defense that has yet to allow more than 43 points in a game. Her team couldn’t do a thing right early and found itself chugging uphill all night long.

In the first quarter, North’s 2-3 zone presented zero openings to the Falcons. West turned the ball over nine times in the quarter— mostly on desperate passes that were thrown into the teeth of the zone. In those first eight minutes, West (7-3, with two losses to North) managed only two field goals. And when the Falcons glanced up at the scoreboard, they found they were on the ropes at 18-5.

“North was really ready to play and we forced things,” Waddell said. “We couldn’t get a look at the basket, couldn’t find a way to attack. And when we turned the ball over, they cashed in. After that, we played catch-up ball all night long.”

West abandoned its 1-3-1 zone early in the second quarter after North’s Joyce Hipps spotted Courtney Hill for a layup to make the score a shocking 23-7. After they switched to man-to-man defense, the Falcons did better. They scratched back to 23-13 at halftime, then got within six at 25-19 in the third quarter when Sara Pieper extended a Falcon run to 12-2 with a short jumper in the lane.

Atwell called a timeout. Still, his girls seemed unperturbed and had smiles on their faces as they trotted to the bench. He reminded them to play their game and to calm down a little bit, then shipped them back out on the court.

West got to within 25-22 on Jenny Sloop’s three-point play, but that was its high-water mark. North immediately ripped off an electrifying 12-0 spurt over the next three minutes with Courtney Hill, Amber Hill and Hipps taking whomever was guarding them into the lane and rising over them for short jumpers. Moriah Jones then capped the run with a spectacular driving shot off the glass to make it 37-22.

West crept back to a 42-35 deficit with six minutes to go, but North easily answered that final challenge as well, even though it was burdened by some foul trouble to both Hills.

“We just came in here to play hard and get a win,” said Hipps. “We played better than we did against West last week (an overtime North win in Spencer). We made more outside shots tonight and that opened up a lot of things for us in the middle.”

Courtney Hill led the Cavs with 20 points on strong 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 8 of 12 free throws. Amber Hill added 11 points and Hipps had eight, including two 3-pointers. North shot a solid 48 percent for the game.

Pieper scored 16 to lead the Falcons, who shot 31 percent. Pieper made seven of the Falcons’ 13 field goals. But outside of Pieper, the Falcons looked hesitant against a zone that they will surely see one more time if the teams meet again in the Christmas Tournament.

West’s starting guards, Kristen McNeely and Hillary Hampton, combined to go 0-for-14 for the field. That made it next to impossible for West to get the ball inside, as the confident Cavs packed further and further back in the lane.

“They just took it to us,” sighed Waddell. “North has a very good team and they were ready for us. No doubt about it.”

NORTH ROWAN (56) — C.Hill 20, A. Hill 11, Hipps 8, Craige 6, Witherspoon 5, M.Jones 4, Suber 2, Bowie, Hendrick.

WEST ROWAN (41)— Pieper 16, Hampton 7, Scearce 5, Sloop 5, Dowdy 2, N. Jones 2, Moore 2, Massey 2, McNeely.

North Rowan 18 5 16 17 — 56