LANDIS— Following a tough loss to A.L. Brown, South Rowan girls coach James Greene conducted a “really serious” practice on Thursday.
The practice even had a name: “Unity.”
The Raiders chanted the five-letter word when breaking out of their pre-game huddle, then they took the court and put forth the type of team effort Greene has been looking for in a 55-34 victory against South Iredell on Friday night.
The Raider post players rebounded and scored near the basket, South’s perimeter players distributed the ball well and played pressure defense and the bench chipped in to give Greene a team win if there ever was one.
“We are trying to put team above self, and we hadn’t been playing like a team, so the kids came up with ‘Unity’,” Greene said. “We know as a unit, we can do well.
“I wish I could take this game and jar it up,”he later added. “The only thing that this team needs is consistency, and we’re working towards that.”
The Raiders (11-8, 3-2CPC), who led 26-19 at halftime, broke the game open in the third quarter thanks to Alexius Blackwood and Paris Rucker.
Blackwood scored six points in the quarter, while Rucker grabbed five defensive rebounds.
Blackwood finished with 13 points and five rebounds, and Rucker had nine points and 16 boards. Sade Jordan chipped in with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
South scored 34 points in the paint and outrebounded the Vikings 43-34.
“I just boxed out, and I thought about the team,” Rucker said. “The team needs rebounds, not me.”
The triple towers for South were able to get good looks at the basket thanks to the passing of guards Katie Willett and Nicole Parker.
Willett dished out five assists, and Parker came off the bench to drop four dimes. South registered assists on 17 of its 24 field goals.
“We knew they didn’t have anything for our post kids,” Willett said. “We knew that’s where the ball needed to be.”
Mandy Yost assumed the point-guard duties on Friday night, and she came up with three steals in the first three minutes and finished with four.
Greene praised Yost for her leadership in calling the plays and her calming influence over the offense.
“It really begins and ends with her because she handles the basketball,” Greene said.
Greene took Yost and his other four starters out of the game less than a minute into the second quarter with the Raiders holding a slim 11-8 edge.
Ellen Russell fed Erica Brown for open jump shots on the left wing on each of the Raiders’ first two possessions, and Brown knocked them down.
Parker pitched in with five points off the South Rowan bench.
The win puts the Raiders in at least a tie for third place in the CPC. Rucker doesn’t expect South to suffer any more letdowns as it shoots for one of three playoff spots.
“Us knowing that we don’t want to have another “Unity,” practice, that will carry us,” she said.
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NOTE: As for what went on at Thursday’s practice, here’s Willett’s description. “We ran, then we shot some foul shots, and then we ran a lot more,”she said.
SOUTH IREDELL (34) — Pierce 8, Haneline 6, Nantz 5, Vincent 4, Hoover 3, Faggart 3, Brandon 2, Christian 2, Stinson 1, Cooper.
SOUTH ROWAN (55) — Jordan 14, Blackwood 13, Rucker 9, Parker 5, Brown 4, Willett 4, Durant 2, Yost 2, Mack 2, Russell, Littlejohn.
South Iredell 8 11 5 19 — 34
South Rowan 11 15 14 15 — 55
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