|
KANNAPOLIS — A.L. Brown junior guard Kesha Johnson studied the ancient walls of Bullock Gym for a moment, and then she had an idea.
“There’s lots of faded old banners on those walls,” she said with a grin. “It’s about time we hung up one that’s bright green.”
The Wonder girls basketball team, believe it or not, is just one win away from hanging up something that would be very bright and very green. It’s the banner they’d receive for winning the South Piedmont Conference Tournament.
The fifth-seeded Wonders (12-12) reached the title game of the tourney with a resounding 65-40 pounding of league regular-season champion Central Cabarrus (21-4) on Wednesday night that was awesome to behold. The final challenge for the upstart Wonders is traditional power West Rowan, a school which has played hammer to A.L. Brown’s nail 16 straight times. They’ll square off at 6 p.m. on Friday.
On the line is the SPC’s No. 2 seed for the 3A state playoffs, but Wonder coach Doug Wilson says that’s secondary. He’s thinking the same way Johnson is.
“Seeds aren’t that important,” he said. “What we’ll be playing for is a championship.”
But let’s back up a minute. What in the world is going on here? And what’s gotten into these Wonders, who were loveable punching bags three weeks ago? Prior to the SPC Tournament, they hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record.
Wilson says the breakthrough came in the regular-season finale when the Wonders lost by one at Northwest Cabarrus (20-4). Then the Wonders had a first-round tournament game at East Rowan, which had beaten them 12 straight times. Out of the blue, Wilson’s gang crushed East by 21.
Then in the semis, the Wonders dismantled a Viking team that is ranked in the state by everyone who conducts a poll.
“There’s no magic at work here,” said Wilson. “We’ve had this all along. It’s just that this team has found itself. It’s found its heart.”
There’s no better time than Valentine’s Day for that.
It doesn’t hurt the Wonders that they’re hosting the tournament. They wore green and were designated “Guest” on the scoreboard, but had a decided homecourt advantage against the Vikes.
“I was scared to death coming in here,” said Central coach Angie Morton. “Kannapolis is a hot team. It’s playing at home and it’s got nothing to lose. Their guards paralyzed us. They played great and we never could get into our style of play.”
“They” is the key word. Johnson and backcourt mate Elise Stanback were spectacular, combining for 33 points, but everyone piled on in this one, even jayvee call-up Mahogany Rice, who had four points and four rebounds.
“Kannapolis has all sorts of possibilities,” said Morton. “Their post people can hit shots and they’ve got great guards who can make shots from outside or penetrate.”
It started with a startling 9-0 Wonder run out of the gate. But Central got back to within 13-11 and everyone figured a Wonder collapse was on the way.
It never came. Stanback (18 points, 13 rebounds) scored on a breakaway and Joanna Hutchinson made a follow shot and the Wonders, playing an airtight 1-3-1 zone, were back in control.
A.L. Brown’s lead was 26-16 at the half and swelled to 35-16 midway through the third quarter after the Wonders scored the first nine points of the second half. The lead melted back to 10 before Wonder forward Michelle Crosby nailed the biggest shot of the game with 20 seconds left in the third. The soph’s high-arcing set from the corner ended the Wonders’ longest and scariest drought.
The Wonders gave Central no chance to rally late, punching in 16 fourth-quarter free throws to give them a phenomenal 25 of 31 for the game. Johnson shot 10-for-11 on charities and Tomekia Powell swished four straight.
“We’re only No. 5 and we beat No. 1. No one thought we could do that,” said Powell, who had 10 points and 10 boards. “This is the best feeling I’ve ever had.”
“It was just our time,” said Johnson. “It’s time for us to play whole ballgames, not just a half. It’s time to show everyone what we can do.”
It was a timely performance and a moving one, especially the final minutes when Wonder fans who have spent most of the last 15 years sitting silently when the girls played, hooted and hollered and joyfully shook the dust off their faded green pom-poms.
Stanback and Johnson danced in the closing seconds like they were partners on American Bandstand. Then Stanback pointed at Wilson and assistant Nehemiah Hawkins and then at the crowd to let everyone know Wonder girls basketball had returned from the dead.
“I’m not really sure how I felt at that moment,” said Wilson, “but I do know I wanted to cry.”
n
NOTES:Morton took the loss philosophically. “We’re still the No.1 seed in the playoffs and conference champs,” she said. “Our boys team lost in this round last year and they won the state championship.” ... Evan Miller led the Vikings with 13 points, while Serlethea Smith scored 10. ... Ten of the 5-foot-5 Stanback’s rebounds were in the fourth quarter.
A.L. BROWN (65) — Stanback 18, Morgan 3, Johnson 15, Powell 10, Crosby 11, Hutchinson 2, Buster 2, Rice 4, Brown.
CENTRAL CABARRUS (40) — Van De Venter, Miller 13, Killough, Morris, Woodward 7, Smith 10, Hardin 6, Harazim 2, Johnston, Stamey 2.
A.L. Brown 11 15 13 26 — 65
C.Cabarrus 7 9 12 12 — 40
|
Today's News