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SPENCER — Bryan McCullough and Marcus Reddick have become the CCC’s version of Starsky & Hutch. If one doesn’t get you, the other one will.
That was the story Friday night when the do-everything North Rowan forwards shot the Cavaliers out of harm’s way and extended the team’s unblemished season.
“It was kind of like letting the other team know who could shoot and who could score,” McCullough said after North (5-0/14-0 overall) whipped visiting High Point Central, 77-64, and took over sole possesion of first place in the conference standings. “We showed them who they had to watch out for.”
McCullough hit 10 of 17 field goal attempts and scored 23 points while Reddick went 7-for-13 from the floor and had a game-high 24 points. But that’s not the best part. The surprise of the night came from big, bad William “Junior” Farmer, a mid-season replacement who came off the bench and contributed eight important fourth-quarter points.
“Junior was tremendous,” said winning coach Kelly Everhart, noting that senior forward Marcus Lawing — North’s primary board-crasher — was sidelined with a high temperature. “Without him, we’d have been in a real fix whenever (Central) put their big boy in the game. He really came through for us.”
Farmer made two highlight-reel baskets in the final period. The first came after teammate Charles Bruce missed a free throw with North clinging to an eight-point lead and 6:11 remaining. The 6-5 Farmer sidestepped a High Point defender, grabbed the rebound and softly made a putback.
Half-a-minute later Farmer gained inside position under the basket, hit a layup and was fouled. His free throw with 5:42 left put the Cavs up 59-48.
“I was actually pretty nervous,” he said afterward. “I haven’t played much and I’ve been sick a little bit. But I was glad to make a few big plays.”
McCullough, who scored six fourth-quarter points, made one of his own after Central (4-1 CCC/7-7 overall) used a wild flurry to rally within 63-56 with three minutes to go. His 12-foot, pull-up jumper from the left side restored order on the court and squelched fears of a second consecutive late-game collapse by the Cavs.
“I’m a captain on this team,” said McCullough. “In pressure situations I should have the ball in my hands because I can make things happen or I can get it to someone who can.”
Down the stretch that person was Reddick, who nailed four baskets and tallied nine points in the final 2:30. His last field goal — a layup that provided a 14-point lead in the waning seconds — turned the North stands into a human trampoline.
“After that the crowd was really into it,” he smiled. “We were pumped up, the fans were pumped up and it was all over.”
NOTES: McCullough also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked three shots. Farmer had six rebounds in limited action and teammate Chris Phillips shot 4-for-4 from the field and scored nine points. ... North returns to action Wednesday night at East Rowan and visits CCC rival Salisbury next Friday.
HIGH POINT CENTRAL (64) — Baker 19, Bryant 12, Greeson 10, Thomas 9, White 5, Warlick 4, Keener 3, Crump 2.
NORTH ROWAN (77) — Reddick 24, McCullough 23, Phillips 9, Farmer 9, Hosch 7, Witherspoon 5, House, Bruce, Davis, Peoples.
H.P. Central 15 14 8 27 — 64
North Rowan 15 22 13 27 — 77
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