MOUNT ULLA — Was West Rowan’s North Piedmont Conference boys showdown with visiting Mooresville Tuesday night a needed test for Mike Gurley’s Falcons?
“The last time I checked tests were on paper and you got a pen,” coach Mike Gurley explained. “We were playing a basketball game tonight. We don’t want to become narcissistic and fall in love with ourselves. We just want to keep going forward.”
The league-leading Falcons (14-0, 3-0 NPC) did so in convincing fashion, leveling Mooresville, 77-60. They used a thunder-and-lightning approach, riding the strength of 6-8 senior Donte Minter (25 points, 7 blocks) and two-way quickness of guard Horatio Everhart (9 points, 4 steals), the senior who seemingly plays with two speeds — fast and see-ya-later.
“He’s a great ballhandler but sometimes he’s too fast for everybody,” said teammate Phillip Williams. “I get rebounds and pass them off and by the time I reach halfcourt the play’s over. He definitely forces the defense to play at a higher level.”
Minter provided the muscle, reeling in 12 rebounds and rejecting three consecutive Mooresville shots during one fourth-quarter sequence.
“Wow! That’s Donte for you,” said West forward Junior Hairston. “He’s just a blocking machine right now. Everything that goes up, he takes a swat at. The way he moves on defense, to be that big, is just great.”
After a sluggish opening quarter, West seized control in the second. Durell White’s fastbreak gave the Falcons a 23-13 lead early in the period and Brent Patterson’s 3-ball from the right corner made it 33-17 just before the half. In between, West played a stifling brand of defense that limited the Moors (10-4, 2-2 NPC) to two field goals.
“In the first quarter it was real close,” said Minter. “They came out hitting and we came out dry. But after that we tightened the defense and just kept going.”
Mooresville did a good job neutralizing West’s other threats — Hairston’s scoring, Williams’ quick outlet passes — and used Chris Winford’s last-second chuck from 30 feet to draw within 55-40 after three quarters. “They wouldn’t quit,” said Williams. “If they made a mistake, they dropped it and kept going.”
Minter scored his last nine points in the fourth quarter, beginning with a dunk off the inbounds pass and culminating with a three-point play that made it 70-49 with 3:29 remaining.
“He’s pretty good, isn’t he?” Gurley smiled afterward. “I think Donte’s been the most consistent senior that I’ve coached in 12 years. He’s even-keeled, he comes to play every night and he doesn’t get rattled. I don’t think I’m giving away any trade secrets when I say we’re looking to get him the ball. He’s just really good at finishing.”
Meanwhile, the team continues its record-breaking start. “This feels really special,” said Hairston. “We’ve got a chemistry going here that no one’s had — except maybe the ‘97 state championship team.”
Now that’s an exam the Falcons would love to face.
MOORESVILLE (60) — Winford 18, Fish 17, Brice 13, Locey 10, Brawley 1, Lackey 1.
WEST ROWAN (77) — Minter 25, P.Williams 13, Everhart 9, J.Williams 9, Gaither 6, Hairston 5, White 5, Patterson 3, Avery 2, Scearce, Johnson.
Mooresville 13 4 23 20 — 60
West Rowan 21 14 20 22 — 77
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Contact David Shaw at sports@salisburypost.com
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