Point guard Dre Byrd, center Bryan McCullough and forward Marcus Reddick combined for 60 points as the Cavaliers downed visiting Ledford 80-54.

McCullough, a 6-4 junior with a soft shooting touch, had the hottest hand, making his last nine shots, going 10-for-12 on field goals and scoring 22 points, his second-best total of the season.

Byrd made four straight shots to close out the first half and topped off his game-high 24-point effort by banking in a 45-footer as the game ended. It was also the junior’s second-highest total of the season.

Reddick missed six straight shots until finding his range in the second half. The junior knocked in five of his last six, including two 3-pointers, and tallied 14 points.

The victory improved coach Kelly Everhart’s Cavaliers to 2-0 atop the CCC standings and 9-3 overall. Ledford is 1-1 and 5-7.

North has now won two CCC games in three days after falling to unbeaten Davie County 84-65 in the finals of the Sam Moir Christmas Classic last week.

“The Davie County loss was just about the Christmas tournament. It wasn’t a conference game. It wouldn’t affect us from going to Chapel Hill (state 2A finals),” said Byrd.

Byrd, quick and elusive, sliced his way around Ledford defenders for his share of twisting layups, but he made two 3-pointers plus other perimeter shots.

Byrd said he takes a lot of outside shots in practice and also in games, “If it’s there. If I can penetrate, penetrate, but if I can’t, shoot the jump shot,” he said.

“Andre Byrd continues to put the ball in the hole for us,” said Everhart. “If he’s on, then he has the green light to go ahead and put it up (from outside).”

Byrd fired up his last shot of the night from behind the midcourt line, and it banked in.

“I just wanted to throw it up and see what happened,” he said with a big grin.

“He sure is fun to watch,” said Everhart.

North’s three losses have been twice to 3A power West Rowan by a combined total of seven points and once to 4A Davie. North beat West by nine in the semifinals of the holiday tourney.

McCullough, like Byrd, says the Cavaliers weren’t hurt by the tourney loss to Davie.

“Davie County’s like on a different level. It doesn’t stop us from going to the playoffs. We wanted to won, but we weren’t bothered by the loss,” he said.

The slender North star was pleased with his near-perfect shooting.

“I’ve been working on it (shooting form),” he said. “I’ve been practicing with the jayvees too just to get it back, and it’s paying off. ... Marcus Lawing hitting the boards, and Marcus Reddick knocking down the 3s, it makes my inside game happen more in the conference. I think we’ll roll right through it.”

“Bryan McCullough has a soft touch on all his shots. I want him to get more looks at the basket than he’s been getting in past games,” said Everhart.

“Marcus Reddick looks like he’s finally coming around and finding his shot. It’s awfully good to see his 3s start going down,” added the North coach.

The Cavaliers took a while to pull away from the scrappy Panthers, who got three 3-pointers from guard Brentley Kellum in the opening quarter and led by 19-15 early in the second period.

“They started off hitting the 3s, and I knew we were going to have to do something,” said Everhart. “We put Mario (Sturdivant) on No. 43. I thought Mario did a good job of keeping a hand in his face.”

The Cavaliers’ Shrine Bowl quarterback partially blocked one of Kellum’s 3-pointers, and the Ledford guard cooled off. He finished with a team-leading 13 points.

North Rowan pulled away from a 32-25 halftime lead and was in charge the rest of the night, but the Panthers were still reasonably close at 56-48 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers outscored Ledford 24-6 the rest of the way.

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NOTES: The Cavaliers shot a solid 55 percent from the floor, going 33-for-60. North was 10-for-15 at the foul line. Ledford was 23-for-57 (40.4 percent) on field goals and 3-for-4 at the line. ... North, led by McCullough with seven rebounds and Sturdivant with six, beat Ledford 32-23 on the boards. ... Jared Hall and Sam Cecil each scored 12 points for coach Gil Maxwell’s Panthers. ... Ledford had 20 turnovers toNorth’s 16. ... The Cavaliers travel to North Stanly in CCC action on Friday.

LEDFORD (54) — Hall 12, Adams 4, Sensing, Cecil 12, Kellum 13, Smith 8, Davis 5.

NORTH ROWAN (80) —Reddick 14, Lawing 3, McCullough 22, Byrd 24, Phillips 4, Sturdivant 6, J. Miller 3, A. Miller 2, Hosch 2, Witherspoon, Davis.

Ledford 14 11 21 8 — 54