West blasts Kannapolis

BY DAVID SHAW
FOR THE SALISBURY POST

Several players had turns behind the wheel as the top-seeded Falcons opened the South Piedmont Conference Tournament with a four-on-the-floor 96-43 win over visiting Kannapolis.

“It’s not do-or-die this week,” coach Mike Gurley downplayed after West (23-1) advanced to Thursday’s 6 p.m. semifinal against Harding at Kannapolis. “We need to get ourselves in tune for what we’re trying to do next week.”

With the state 3A playoffs looming just around the bend, West used this outing to stretch its legs. Fourteen players scored for the Falcons, led by Donte Minter (23 points) and Scooter Sherrill (22).

“Everyone got into the act,” said Sherrill, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in the decisive first quarter. “We got ahead early and had a chance to rest the starters. That’s always a key in the first game. We really just wanted to get this one out of the way and move on to Thursday.”

Minter made an SUV-sized contribution. The 6-foot-7 sophomore scored nine points in the opening period, including two on a quick putback that gave West a 16-4 edge five minutes into the game.

“I was determined to go in there and grab rebounds tonight,” Minter said, after topping all glass-cleaners with eight boards. “This is a whole different season. I figured I had to step up my game.”

West finished with 49 rebounds, far more that the Wonders (5-18). “Their rebounding hurt us more than anything,” said Kannapolis coach Shelwyn Klutz. “They kept getting three and four shots. We couldn’t rebound with them at all.”

To explain that, you have to look to Minter. “What people who follow us know,” Gurley noted, “is that we have a sophomore who is arguably the best center in the conference. Donte doesn’t physically intimidate anybody, but he’s got great post moves. Any 40-year-old down at the Y would love to have his post game.”

Sherrill helped West put this one in the rearview when he made three consecutive baskets, the last following a steal under the hoop, as West extended its lead to 30-7 early in the second quarter.

“We came out run, run, running,” said Sherrill. “If we get ahead by a lot, some teams will lay down. That was the game plan, to jump on them right from the start.”

West finished the Wonders off by halftime and took its largest lead of the night — 90-28 — when Tim Mauldin outscrapped a couple of defenders for a loose ball in the paint and hit a left-side bank shot with 3:20 to play.

But perhaps the loudest cheers were saved for senior forward Brandon White, who pounced on a teammate’s missed free throw and dunked midway through the fourth quarter, prompting chants of “B-WHITE, B-WHITE” from the bleachers.

“Brandon’s always gonna have a fan club,” said Gurley. “If you know his personality, you know he craves the fan club. He’s been trying to dunk all season, but that’s his first one. He’s a diamond in the rough and we love him because he’s got such a great attitude. Very enthusiastic.”

That’s something Klutz sees up and down the West bench. “They’re peaking right now,” he said after Kannapolis closed its season. “I don’t know whose gonna beat them, but they’ll have to play a flawless game. They have size, they’re deep and they all have great attitudes.”

Gurley, of course, is keeping the caution flag within arms’ reach. “Anybody who takes success for granted is going to get beat,” he warned. “We’re trying not to do that. If we don’t give the effort, we could be looking at an L, an early L, a major-league disappointing L. We’ve got to come out and play to win.”

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NOTES: White blocked four shots while teammate Scooter Dalton made six steals...West will bring a 13-game winning steak into the semifinals. ... West beat Harding 65-63 in two overtimes in Charlotte and 65-50 in Mount Ulla. The championship game is scheduled for Friday night.

KANNAPOLIS(43) — Clowney 10, Collins 6, McCrae 6, Barrier 3, Miller 2, Thompson 2, Abercrombie 2, Henry 2, Allison 2, Everidge 2, Brown 6.

WESTROWAN(96) — Minter 23, Sherrill 22, Barringer 9, Sifford 8, F. Williams 7, Goodnight 6, P. Williams 7, Mauldin 4, Hyde 2, Diggs 2, Mattox 2, Dalton 1, Trosper 1, White 2, Everhart.

Kannapolis 6 11 6 20 — 43

West Rowan 22 23 27 24 — 96