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February 16, 2002Salisbury Post Online; your source for local news and more!

Local News

South girls stick to game plan in victory

BY DAVID SHAW
SALISBURY POST



BARIUM SPRINGS — Sade Jordan, Alexius Blackwood and the rest of South Rowan’s girls basketball team weren’t 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 didn’t have an answer for that.”

Jordan and Blackwood — South’s 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. “That’s what made all the difference. The two big girls pounded us inside. That’s a smart, well-coached team. They all know how to penetrate and dish off.”

It didn’t 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 weren’t 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 she’s gotta take care of the rest.”

Jordan, Blackwood and the rest of the Raiders wouldn’t have it any other way.

n

NOTES: The Raiders earned a first-round by in this week’s CPC tournament at West Forsyth. They’ll 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

 

 

   

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