GRANITE QUARRY — Central Cabarrus’ girls basketball team showed why it’s the South Piedmont Conference preseason favorite here Tuesday night while defeating East Rowan 77-56.

The Vikings, led by Serlethea Smith’s 30 points, used excellent passing to pave the way for 60.8 percent field goal shooting (31-for-51) while winning their conference opener and improving to 2-0 overall.

“They really looked good tonight,” said coach Randy Bingham of East, which was also playing its SPC opener. East is 2-1 overall. “That’s about as good a game as I’ve seen anybody have in this gym, or in any gym, in a long time. I didn’t see any weaknesses.”

The smooth-shooting Smith scored 20 of her team’s 41 first-half points and went 13-for-21 on field goals and 3-for-4 at the foul line.

“I think you might have to put five on her and just let the others go,” quipped Bingham. “It seemed like everytime we guarded her, somebody else just hit a beautiful shot. They’ve got a good inside and outside game.”

Center JessicaHardin and left-handed guard Evan Miller also scored in double figures with 13 and 11, respectively, for coach Angela Morton’s Vikings.

Freshman forward Maggie Rich came off the bench to lead East’s scoring with a career-high 15 points. Center Stephanie Morgan and point guard Lora Williams added 12 and 11, respectively.

East hung with Central for most of the first half, trailing only 35-30 late in the second quarter, then the Vikings scored the final six points of the period for a 41-30 halftime lead. Central then broke it open with a big third quarter, outscoring East 25-12.

“What I’m most proud of is, they never quit,” said Bingham. “That’s what we’re going to have to do all year long. We’re just going to have to play hard and take what we get and just do a better job of executing on offense and defense. I think tonight might have opened our eyes up a little bit. We’re going to have to play better to win games in this conference. I think we’re up to that.”

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NOTES: Morgan was East’s only consistent shooter, going 6-for-9 inside. The Mustangs were 22-for-63 (34.9 percent) as a team. ... East, led by Michelle Haynes’ nine rebounds, had a 35-27 edge on the boards. Williams andMaggie Rich had eight and seven boards, respectively. ... Smith had six rebounds and three steals. ... The Vikings’ Miller, CaseyMorris and Kristi Killough each had four assists. ... East had 24 turnovers to Central’s 19. ... East will be at home against Piedmont on Friday.

CENTRAL CABARRUS (77) — Smith 30, Morris 6, Hardin 13, Van De Venter 8, Killough 6, Miller 11, Johnston, Stamey 1, Furr, Harazim 2, Woodward.

EASTROWAN (56) — E. Rich 6, Haynes 4, Morgan 12, Shaw 4, Williams 11, M. Rich 15, Huffman 2, Ivey, MacLamroc, Ingold, Brown, Cress, Mundy 2.

C. Cabarrus 21 20 25 11 — 77 East Rowan 13 17 12 14 — 56