BARIUM SPRINGS Sade Jordan, Alexius Blackwood and the rest of South Rowans
girls basketball team werent about to skid across the finish line.Not after squandering a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in a
devastating loss to North Davidson on Tuesday. And certainly not after falling six points
behind bottom-feeder South Iredell in its CPC regular-season finale Friday night.
Tonight we stuck to our game plan, coach James
Greene explained after South (7-3, 15-9 overall) locked up second place in the conference
standings with a 62-52 victory. We wanted to bounce the ball inside to our big girls
and we did. They didnt have an answer for that.
Jordan and Blackwood Souths mobile six-foot
sophomores each contributed 19 points as the Lady Raiders won for the fifth time in
their past six games.
Their size, said SI coach Marshall Stewart.
Thats what made all the difference. The two big girls pounded us inside.
Thats a smart, well-coached team. They all know how to penetrate and dish off.
It didnt start that way. The sharpshooting Vikings
(1-9, 5-17 overall) opened the scoring with a pair of first-minute three-pointers and led
13-11 after one period. The Raiders, on the other hand, spent the first quarter on the
frozen food aisle.
We were rushing our shots, Jordan said after
reeling in 10 rebounds. And we werent getting second chances. We needed to
focus on the easy layups, the givens.
South trailed 25-19 when Jordan grabbed an offensive
rebound and hit a putback late in the second quarter. Moments later sweet-shooting Ellen
Russell tied the score with a three-pointer from the top of the key.
We can always count on her to hit the threes,
said Blackwood. That girl is clutch.
So was Blackwood, who scored 14 second-half points. Perhaps
no basket was bigger than the fast-break layup she converted after taking a pass from
teammate Katie Willett early in the third period. It fueled a decisive 12-0 run that put
South firmly in charge.
We expect that from (Blackwood), said Greene.
Our thing is to get her lots of close-range shots and shes gotta take care of
the rest.
Jordan, Blackwood and the rest of the Raiders wouldnt
have it any other way.
n
NOTES: The Raiders earned a first-round by in this
weeks CPC tournament at West Forsyth. Theyll play in the semifinals Thursday
night.
SOUTH ROWAN (62) Blackwood 19, Jordan 19, Rucker 9,
Willett 8, Russell 3, Mack 2, Parker 2, Yost, Brown.
SOUTH IREDELL (52) Pierce 14, Haneline 13, Martin 9,
Faggart 5, Vincent 3, Stinson 2, Hoover 2, Brandon 2, Nantz 2.
South Rowan 11 18 18 15 62
South Iredell 13 16 11 12 52