MOUNT ULLA — Just how poorly were A.L. Brown’s girls shooting in their ugly 54-41 3A North Piedmont Conference loss at West Rowan on Wednesday night?

The Wonders couldn’t have hit water if they’d fallen down a well.

Usually low-key Wonder coach Doug Wilson got so exasperated at all the airballs — and all the calls — that he tried his level best to get tossed.

“I did all I could do,” he said. “I wasn’t just out of the box, I was all the way down there with (West coach Toni) Wheeler.”

But Wilson’s attempt at getting ejected was no more successful than his team’s barrage of 3-point bricks.

“We just couldn’t shoot,” he said. “We’re in a funk.”

The Wonders (15-6, 5-6) fired blanks against West’s 1-3-1 zone, shooting a dismal 16-for-63 for 25.3 percent. That was critical, along with 11 surprise points from West’s 5-foot pest Lyndsey Gay, who’d never scored in double figures.

The loss hermetically sealed the Wonders in fifth place, regardless of the outcome of Friday’s finale at North Iredell. But the jury remains out on West (16-6, 7-4), which could be part of a four-way tie for first place if it beats East Rowan on Friday, and North Iredell loses to the Wonders.

However, if West loses to East for the second time, it will tumble all the way to fourth. The league gets only three state berths, so the Falcons would then have to win the NPC tourney to make the playoffs.

“This win puts a lot of pressure on Friday,” said Wheeler.

“We’ll have to come out strong at East,” said Gay. “East only gives you one shot, so you have to make it. We can’t be wimpy.”

Neither squad showed much wimpiness.

“It was rough and it was physical,” agreed Gay.

West survived the bruise-fest by shooting 19-for-28 from the foul line.

Sophomore Hillary Hampton made 11 of those foul shots on her way to a game-high 17 points. Hampton, who added 10 boards, reached double-figure points for the 24th straight time, but not without an argument from feisty A.L. Brown defensive stopper Jo Hutchinson. If you’re throwing a party, don’t invite both Hampton and Hutchinson. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, nose-to-nose and jaw-to-jaw the last three quarters.

“Hillary got a little frustrated,” said Wheeler, who sat her star for the final minute. “Her shots haven’t dropped the last two nights.”

The last time Hampton didn’t score in double figures was against A.L. Brown in last season’s South Piedmont Conference tourney finals. That was also the only occasion the Wonders have beaten West in their 11 meetings over the past five years.

The teams were equally slovenly in the first half, but the Falcons were revved up to start the second. They opened the half on a run of 11-2 for a 37-23 lead. Included in that decisive burst were slick passes by Gay to Brittany Roberson and Kristina Lewis for layups and a 3-pointer by Gay that brought down the house.

“It helped us that Kannapolis was playing man-to-man,” said Wheeler. “That gave us more scoring options.”

Like freshman post Brittany Roberson, who had 12 points and 12 boards. And Gay, who actually converted one twisting layup while running right out of her sneaker.

“Lyndsey was a lifesaver,” said Wheeler. “Kannapolis is so quick and puts so much pressure on the guards that we needed her out there to help out Hillary.”

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NOTES:The Wonders got a combined 27 points from post players Tomekia Powell and Michelle Crosby, but that was about it. Guards Elise Stanback and Kesha Johnson, seniors who have been all-conference, combined for a surreal 1-for-24 on field goals. ... The Wonders won the turnover war 29-15, but that was negated by the Falcons’ 45-35 edge on the glass.

A.L. BROWN (41) — Powell 14, Crosby 13, Clowney 5, Stanback 3, Buster 2, Hutchinson 2, Johnson 2, Rice, Smitherman, Thomas.

WEST ROWAN (54) — Hampton 17, Roberson 12, Gay 11, Lewis 8, Jones 2, White 2, Massey 2, Harkey, Hartsell.

A.L. Brown 10 11 10 10 — 41

West Rowan 17 9 15 13 — 54

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .