South Rowan plays with heart in victory over Winston-Salem Reynolds

BY RONNIE GALLAGHER
SALISBURY POST

WINSTON-SALEM— Valentine’s Day is known for a big heart and a lot of kisses and that’s exactly how the South Rowan girls basketball team won its Central Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinal game against Reynolds, 51-42, Wednesday night.

No. 1, the Raiders won with heart.

South’s squad is very young but if there was a loose ball on the floor, South usually got it. The Raiders rebounded and rebounded and rebounded until that ball went in the hoop. They outhustled Reynolds on defense.

No. 2, the Raiders won with some timely kisses — off the glass, that is, by senior Aisha Khan, who banked in huge 3-pointers with the game still on the line.

One more important ingredient about Valentine’s Day: love. And no one was loving the way the No. 3 seed Raiders played more than coach James Greene.

“We’ve talked all year about a process,” he said. “One quarter, one game at a time. And it’s finally coming. These girls really wanted to make the championship game.”

Reynolds coach Jeff Faullin was certainly impressed. “That’s the best game I’ve seen them play in a long time, offensively or defensively,” he said.

Whether South made it to the title tilt (tonight against Mount Tabor) was in doubt late in the third quarter. South (7-17) was holding on to a precarious 29-28 lead and Greene had to be wondering who could step up and make some big plays.

Khan could.

After Brittney Gaddy made it 30-28 with a free throw, Khan, scoreless to that point, sank a long 3-pointer for a 33-28 advantage. Nicole Parker then hit one off a feed from Katie Willett. On South’s next possession, Khan found herself with the ball again 20 feet from the bucket. She smooched it off the backboard into the hoop and just like that, it was 39-28 at the end of three quarters.

“We felt the game would be left up to the wings tonight,” said Greene. “They did a better job in the second half looking for their shots.”

No. 2 seed Reynolds, playing in its own gym, found itself down 42-30 with six minutes left before pulling within 42-36.

But here came Khan again and she wasn’t delivering Valentine’s Day flowers. She was delivering a dagger to Faullin’s heart with yet another 3-pointer — on yet another bank shot.

“She doesn’t call bank,” chuckled Greene. “But we’ll take bank.”

“South made big shots when they counted,” sighed Faullin. “We took the same shots and didn’t make them.”

Reynolds was forced to foul at this point and the Demons picked out sophomore Parker. After missing six of her first seven free throws in the fourth quarter, she came through with four straight in the final two minutes to seal things.

Parker’s five free throws gave her 10 points, matching the total of Gaddy, who had a monster game inside, grabbing a whopping 18 rebounds.

In fact, the board work won this game, according to Faullin. South dominated underneath as Alexis Blackwood helped Gaddy with 13 caroms.

“We didn’t give them the rebounds that we did in the other two games we played,” Greene said. “We gave them one shot.”

Faullin agreed. “We didn’t attack the glass like they did,” he said. “They were better on the boards.”

South needed to be early. It was just 4-of-21 from the field in the opening eight minutes but trailed by two.

Willett began driving and dishing, leading the Raiders to a 22-21 halftime lead.

“The problem was Willett’s penetration,” Faullin said. “When she penetrated, they got good looks at the basket, either on rebound misses or from good passes.”

After Reynolds pulled ahead 24-22 to start the second half, South went on a 17-4 run.

And while Khan finished the surge, Mandy Yost started it. She hit two free throws to tie the game and then bombed in a 3-pointer for a lead South would never relinquish.

Now, South faces regular season champ Mount Tabor — much smaller but more experienced — in tonight’s 6 p.m. championship game.

“I think it will be a defensive struggle,” said Greene.

An interested onlooker will be Faullin. If Tabor wins, Reynolds remains the No. 2 seed and plays a home playoff game Monday. If South wins, his Demons fall to third seed and travel to the mountains against a powerful Northwest 4A squad.

“South has a lot to play for,” he said. “The difference in that seed is pretty big.

“Traveling on a Monday to Marion is not something I relish,” Faullin added. “So I’m a big Mount Tabor fan. I love Coach Greene and I love his team. But I want that second seed.”

So do the Raiders, who proved again last night that they’re not ready to kiss off their season just yet.

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NOTES: Reynolds is 9-13. ... There was a huge free throw difference. South shot 33, making 17. Reynolds attempted just seven, making two. ... Parker had six steals, five in the first half. ... South is 0-2 against Tabor twice this season.