LANDIS — South Rowan’s girls won a game on Monday that was wrapped in emotion.
They won for the seniors on Senior Night and won for coach John Davis and his family.
Davis’ wife Kim received a kidney transplant on Saturday, and the combination of family concerns and a tense South Piedmont Conference struggle drained all the energy from Davis, who was almost speechless after the Raiders continued their late-season surge by beating Robinson, 55-51.
“I’m just proud of the girls for holding on,” Davis said. “It’s a game that six weeks ago we wouldn’t have been able to hang onto.”
South has four seniors — Malaysia Williams, Caitlin Chabala, Brandy Samples and Kamryn Stamey, who is out with a concussion. Williams and Chabala combined for 20 points and teamed with youngsters Janiya Downs and Taziah Hardin to lead South.
Robinson (9-12, 8-9) got 21 points from Jada McMillan. She scored 13 during a desperate, fourth-quarter rally by the Bulldogs.
South played reasonably well from the start and benefited from horrendous early shooting by the Bulldogs.
Downs, Chabala and Williams pushed South to a 14-1 lead after a quarter.
“This game meant a lot to us, and wanted to bury them quick,” Williams said. “We wanted to get the lead and we wanted to keep it.”
When Riley Corriher splashed a left-wing 3-pointer early in the second quarter, South’s lead was 17-1. But then Jaelyn Glass finally got a shot to fall 11 minutes into the game, and that first field goal was a wakeup call for Robinson.
The Bulldogs began fighting back, but Chabala scored the last bucket of the half for a 29-14 South lead.
“It was like we didn’t even get off the bus until the second quarter,” Robinson coach Justin Thomas said. “We couldn’t make a shot and couldn’t make a free throw. All we could do was try to keep the girls up and hope that eventually we’d fight back.”
Robinson sliced into South’s lead during a third quarter that ended with the Raiders ahead 36-26. Downs scored all seven points that South mustered in that period. She got five of them from the foul line.
Jolee Smith blocked a shot to start the fourth quarter, and that rejection led to a transition bucket by Downs. Then Hardin tossed in a runner and Downs made two free throws. South’s lead was 16 with six minutes left, but that’s when Robinson decided to charge. McMillan and Glass were special the rest of the way. The Bulldogs scored 25 points in those last six minutes.
“We played a good fourth quarter,” Thomas said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t play until then, and when you get down 17-1 you make it tough on yourself. That’s a big hole.”
McMillan’s 3-pointer from deep on the right side cut the Raiders’ lead to 50-44 with 1:48 remaining, and the Raiders were in awful foul trouble.
Glass’ bank shot made it 51-46 with 1:12 left. McMillan’s jumper with 52 seconds remaining cut South’s lead to 51-48, and it was a one-possession game.
When Hardin missed two free throws with 45 seconds left, Robinson had its chance, but McMillan missed and Glass missed after grabbing the rebound. All the Bulldogs were crashing the boards. That allowed Hardin to get loose for a transition layup with 26 seconds left for a 53-48 South lead.
After Glass made a free throw and McMillan scored in the lane to cut South’s lead down to two points with 12 seconds left, Robinson set up its press.
South got the ball to Downs. She worked her way into the frontcourt, but she was briefly trapped near the right sideline. With three Bulldogs chasing her, she dribbled through a narrow opening. Then she spotted Hardin for the game-clinching layup.
“We were close to getting a turnover there, but that was the girl (Downs) we didn’t want to foul and she made the kind of play that good players can make,” Thomas said. “South has improved tremendously since the first time we played them. Hats off to them. We didn’t play well enough to win — but they did.”
Downs scored 20, while Williams had 12 and Hardin 11 for the Raiders. Hardin scored nine in the fourth quarter.
“We’ve grown a lot this year,” Davis said. “The upside of this team for the future is tremendous.”
South has won three of its last four after starting the season 3-16.
“This one was special,” Chabala said. “We started off strong, and I was never afraid that we’d lose the lead.”
South (6-17, 5-12) is still in ninth place in the SPC. The top eight make the conference tournament. South finishes the regular season Thursday at East Rowan.

ROBINSON (51) — McMillan 21, Glass 12, Koerner 9, Jordan 4, D. Johnson 2, Misenheimer 2, Boulware 1.
SOUTH ROWAN (55) — Downs 21, Williams 12, Hardin 11, Chabala 8, Corriher 3, Samples, Rollins, Smith, Camden Carlton, Carsen Carlton.

Robinson 1 13 12 25 — 51
South Rowan 14 15 7 19 — 55

In the boys game, Robinson beat South Rowan, 70-57.
The powerful Bulldogs, who will play a game at home on Friday against Concord that will decide the SPC title, started and finished the game using a “Senior Night” lineup on the road against the Raiders that included a number of reserves.
Robinson (19-3, 16-1) led 11-6 after a quarter.
The Bulldogs put their three stars — Lavar Batts, Daniel Spencer and Jordan McKenzie — on the floor for the start of the second quarter and outscored the Raiders 28-9 in that quarter to take a 39-15 halftime lead.
South (0-23, 0-17) played very well in putting up a 25-point third quarter, with Tre Littlejohn getting a flurry of transition points.
South also had a strong finish with Colson Childers making two 3-pointers in the final quarter.
Littlejohn and Childers, both seniors, led the Raiders with 14 points each.
Also playing their final home game for South were Heath Barringer, Ian Bradshaw, Hunter Butler and Justin Greer.
South has one more chance at a victory. That will be Thursday at East Rowan.

ROBINSON (70) — McKenzie 14, Spencer 12, Batts 10, Raper 9, Anderson 6, Misenheimer 4, Byrd 4, Smith 3, Gray 3, Talone 2, Trammell 2, Steinbacher 1.
SOUTH ROWAN (57) — Childers 14, Littlejohn 14, Shaver 8, Rhyne 7, Barringer 4, Bradshaw 4, Hester 4, Peacock 2, Greer, KLuttz.

Robinson 11 28 21 10 — 70
South Rowan 6 9 25 17 — 57