KANNAPOLIS — In girls basketball, you just never know.
Twenty-four hours after looking like professional sleepwalkers for three quarters against East Rowan, A.L. Brown resembled UConn in Wednesday’s 68-53 3A North Piedmont Conference thrashing of talented Statesville.
The Wonders (12-1, 3-1) scalded the Greyhounds 21-3 in the decisive third quarter and committed just nine turnovers all night. Considering the breakneck pace, that was nearly as impressive as running the 100 in six seconds.
Wonder guard Elise Stanback was a magical being— bounding over everyone like a 5-foot-5 green kangaroo. And she did it just 24 hours after looking like just another couch potato.
“Come on, I don’t wanna talk about the East game, let’s talk about this one,” laughed the bubbly Stanback, who dropped in 21. “Look, that East game broke our hearts, but this one made up for it. (Coach) Doug (Wilson) said we had to put yesterday behind us, and that’s what we did.”
It was a terrific battle early on, with Statesville and its star, South Carolina-bound center Laquavia Roseboro, playing at a high level. The Hounds (12-3, 2-2) shot 54 percent in the first quarter for a 15-12 lead. Then they ruled the boards in the second quarter to carve out a 31-25 halftime edge.
But Roseboro picked up her third foul in the waning seconds of the first half and was tagged with her fourth when Wonder center Tomekia Powell powered to the basket with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
The score was 34-34 when Roseboro was forced to the bench. Her exit was huge physically and emotionally for both teams, because the charged-up Wonders reeled off the next 14 points.
“The big girl’s foul trouble helped out a lot,” said Stanback. “We already knew what she could do and there was not that much on their bench.”
When it lost its star, Statesville began having a difficult time with the Wonders’ frantic man-to-man pressure. In a disastrous third quarter, the Hounds shot a rushed 1-for-11 and chucked the ball away nine times.
“I don’t know if we got tired or what, but 21-3 in one quarter makes a big difference,” said Statesville coach Addie Hightower. “It was one of those nights.”
Statesville stabilized in the fourth quarter after Roseboro returned, but never crept closer than nine.
The Wonders, who sometimes settle for lazily launching 3s, attacked all game, passing the ball beautifully and getting open shots from close range. It was a lights-out performance that left Wilson practically speechless.
“This has to be our biggest regular-season win in the four years I’ve been here,” he said. “Statesville’s great, they’re ranked in the state. But our kids played with feeling.”
NOTES:Roseboro and sweet-shooting Martha Kutteh led Statesville with 15 points each. ... Powell (15), Kesha Johnson (13) and Michelle Crosby (10) joined Stanback in double figures. ... Crosby added 11 boards for her second double-double in two nights. ... Point guard Johnson had a superb floor game, while Joanna Hutchinson and Bootsie Thomas sparked the Wonders’ defense. ... Brown hosts another NPC contender, North Iredell, on Friday.
STATESVILLE (53) — Roseboro 15, Kutteh 15, Rucker 7, Wells 6, Renegar 6, Dixon 2, Schofield, Fletcher, Clark, Keys.
A.L. BROWN (68) — Stanback 21, Powell 15, Johnson 13, Crosby 10, Hutchinson 4, Thomas 3, Buster 2, Smitherman.
Statesville 15 16 3 17 — 53
A.L. Brown 12 13 21 22 — 68
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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