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TYRO — North Rowan’s girls head into the state basketball playoffs next week knowing they’ve played in the toughest 2A league in the state.
Coach Gary Atwell’s Cavaliers were eliminated here Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Central Carolina Conference Tournament by top-seeded and unbeaten High Point Central, 71-34.
North, which will visit the Southwestern Conference’s No. 2 seed (probably Shelby) on Tuesday night, is 16-8 for the season, but 16-3 against every opponent except High Point Central (24-0) and Ledford(21-3).
Central’s win last night was the third of the season for coach Kenny Carter’s powerful Bison over North. Second-seeded Ledford has beaten the Cavaliers twice.
“As tough as we have to play every night, I think we’ll be ready for sectional play,” said Atwell. “We might get beat, but I think we will definitely go up there and show what we’ve got. I think it will be a close ballgame.”
If North wins that first-round game, Atwell knows the next contest will be tough.
“If we win it, we get to play High Point Central again (at Catawba Valley Community College at 4 p.m. Feb. 22),” he said.
“I thought we played them about as good as we could,” he said of the three lopsided losses to the Bison this season. “We try everything we can, but they just keep bringing off the bench, and they keep that defensive pressure on you. How many times you go brain-dead, they just blitz you. It might have been 12-9 with two minutes to go in the first quarter, and we went brain-dead. It ended up being 23-9 at the end of the first quarter.”
That 10-0 run by the Bison quickly changed the complexion of the game. It was 40-19 by halftime, and Central eventually led by as much as 39.
“We play hard. We do what we are supposed to do. We just can’t match up with them,” Atwell said.
Central not only can score inside with big center Krystion Obie or her back-up, Nikki Warren, but the Bison have deadly outside shooting. The High Pointers had seven 3-pointers in the first half and went 10-for-21 on 3s for the night.
“They just line up around there and shoot it. They even take their time shooting it,” said Atwell. “They make four or five passes before they shoot the 3. They’re just an awesome team.”
Leslie Cook made five of the 3s and scored 17 points, as did Obie in close. Rachel Stockdale added three 3s and 11 points. Quick point guard Velinda VunCannon and reserve Brittany Hendley each made a 3.
North’s balanced scoring was led by Joyce Hipps and Crystal Craige with eight points apiece.
“We played hard,” said Atwell. “I thought Courtney (Hill) did a good job on the boards. Joyce shot the ball fairly well the first half. Crystal Craige played hard. They give you everything they’ve got. That’s all you can ask out of somebody.”
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NOTES: High Point Central will meet either Ledford or No. 3 seed Lexington at 6 p.m. Friday in the tournament finals. ... The Bison were 25-for-46 (54.3 percent) on field goals, while North went 12-for-45 (26.7 percent). ... Obie was the game’s top rebounder with 10. ... VunCannon contributed 10 assists.
NORTH ROWAN (34) — A. Hill 4, Craige 8, C. Hill 6, Hipps 8, Bowie 4, Jones 2, Peterson, Suber, Hendrick 2.
HIGH POINT CENTRAL (71) — Stockdale 11, Kirby, Obie 17, Cook 17, VunCannon 9, Warren 8, Fulp, Hendley 7, Green, Leach 1, Gheen 1, Martin.
North Rowan 9 10 11 4 — 34
HP Central 23 17 19 12 — 71
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