TYRO — Amber Hill and North Rowan found themselves behind going into the final quarter, but a strong finish gave the Cavaliers a 56-43 basketball victory over North Stanly Tuesday night.
Hill, a sophomore guard, scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the final quarter of North Rowan’s first-round victory in the 2A Central Carolina Conference Tournament at West Davidson.
“We wanted to come out and win. We wanted to play tomorrow against HighPoint Central,” said Hill.
Fourth-seeded North, 16-7, earned a semifinal berth against top-seeded HighPoint Central (23-0) at 6 p.m. today.
Hill scored only one point in the first half, which ended in a 24-all tie. She picked up the pace in the third quarter with five points before dominating the final eight minutes.
“I had to change my shoes.I had on my old last-year shoes. I had to get it together.Everybody had to step up and play their game,” she said.
The Cavaliers were down 36-33 starting the final quarter, then Hill scored the first five points of the fourth quarter in a span of one minute and 10 seconds. She started North on a 15-0 run that gave the Cavaliers a 48-36 lead.
“Coach(Gary Atwell) said, ‘Take it to the basket. Can’t nobody from around here stop you from driving,’” said Hill.
“Amber did a super job of taking it to the hole in the fourth quarter,” said Atwell. “When she penetrates, she’s awfully hard to handle, because she’s big and strong and she knows what she’s doing going to the basket. She can make free throws too, if they foul her.”
Hill went 7-for-9 at the foul line in that final quarter. For the night she was 5-for-12 on field goals with a 3-pointer and 8-for-10 on free throws.
Center Courtney Hill scored 15 points, while point guard Joyce Hipps scored seven and guards Ashley Bowie and Moriah Jones added six each.
Hipps, however, was her team’s leader on the boards with 11 rebounds, defensively with seven steals and tops in assists with four.
“Joyce doesn’t have to score.I’d like for her to shoot more and score more, but she’s probably our best rebounder, even though she’s a point guard. She just gives you everything she’s got. She didn’t come out of the game except for five seconds,” said Atwell.
Atwell knows tonight’s game with HighPoint Central will be one of the toughest of the year for his Cavaliers, who fell to the Bison 74-35 and 69-38 in regular-season meetings.
“We’ve got to make them play halfcourt. We’ve got to make them use 25 or 30 seconds each possession to shoot and we’ve got to use 25 or 30 seconds each possession to shoot, make them play a halfcourt game and hope they’re not making the 3-pointer,” said the North coach.
“They’re as good as any team I’ve ever seen. They don’t have any weaknesses,” he added.
North, if it wins its first-round game in the 2A sectionals next week, would face High Point Central again in the second round of the playoffs.
North Stanly, which closed out its season with a 9-13 record under coach Amanda Hartsell, was led by guard Kary Isenhour with 10 points and guard Ashley Lowder and center Jennie Hayes with nine apiece. Hayes also led the Comets on the boards with 10 rebounds.
“They shoot so well and they move the ball so well,” said Atwell. “Amanda’s done a good job. They get a good look at the basket just about every time we play zone against them. (Emily) Coley hit four 3-pointers the last time we played them. That’s hard to defend. ... They play hard; they play good defense. They’re going to be a team to reckon with in the future.”
Atwell switched from a zone to a man-to-man defense late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth period.
“Then we had four turnovers in a row. That’s what killed us,” said Hartsell.
“We’re more comfortable (against a zone defense). We can’t handle pressure as well as we’ve got to in games,” she added.
Coley was North Stanly’s only senior starter last night, and Hartsell has only three seniors on the team.
“For the future we’re looking bright, and changing conferences is going to help a lot.I’m excited about that,” said the Comets’ coach.
North Stanly will play in the 2A Rocky River Conference next season. That’s a league Hartsell is familiar with from her playing days at North
Stanly.
NOTES: North Rowan was 19-for-50 (38 percent) on field goals and 16-for-26 at the foul line. North Stanly was 16-for-39 (41 percent) from the floor and 8-for-13 at the line.
NORTH STANLY (43) — Coley 6, Cunningham 2, Hayes 9, Lowder 9, Isenhour 10, Noll 2, Hinkle, A. Burleson 2, Whitley, C. Burleson 2, Adkins, Almond 1, Watson.
NORTH ROWAN (56) — A. Hill 19, Craige 2, C. Hill 15, Hipps 7, Bowie 6, Jones 6, Hendrick 1.
N. Stanly 14 10 12 7 — 43
N. Rowan 14 10 9 23 — 56
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