From staff reports

GREENSBORO — Carson’s girls basketball season ended the season on Saturday, although not without a fight.

“We had an opportunity to win, so it’s a tough loss, but it’s hard for me to be upset right now,” Carson coach Brooke Stouder said. “We played so hard, that I can’t be upset.”

Carson rallied from a double-digit deficit to get within 46-45 with three minutes left in the third-round game, but Northern Guilford pulled away for a 56-47 victory in the 3A state playoffs.

Second-seeded Northern Guilford (25-4) is the defending state champ.

Tenth-seeded Carson (25-4) was able to contain 6-foot-5 N.C. State signee Elissa Cunana, holding her to three field goals and 11 points. Cunnane averages 21 points.

“We played a lot of zone early, and we did a good job on Cunnane, but they also have good guards who can handle it and shoot it,” Carson coach Brooke Stouder said.

Carson had some success with man-to-man defense and also with some fullcourt pressure.

Carson got down nine points after a quarter, but it was an even game the rest of the way.

Point guard Olivia Gabriel, playing the last game of a record-breaking career for the Cougars, scored 19. Junior McKenzie Gadson scored 18, and led the defensive effort against Cunnane.

Freshman Ellie Wilhelm scored six for the Cougars.

Mercedes Wampler led  Northern Guilford with 16 points. Kassie Robakiewicz had 12.

“We had a tremendous group of committed seniors and we accomplished so many things this year with their leadership,” Stouder said.

Carson tied for first in the North Piedmont Conference in the regular season, won the league tournament and reached the third round of the playoffs for only the second time.

The Cougars broke the school record for victories.

CARSON (47) — Gabriel 19, Gadson 18, Wilhelm 6, Conrad 2, Shumaker 2, Cooper, Isley, Wiggins, Turney,  Co. Perry.

N.GUILFORD (56) — Wampler 16, Robakiewicz 12, Cunnane 11, Chandler 9, Henderson 8, Penn.

Carson          11   9    11   16   — 47

N. Guilford     20  10  12  14   — 56

West girls fall

WENTWORTH — West Rowan’s girls ended the season on Saturday with a 72-48 loss at 11th-seeded  Rockingham County in the third round of the 3A state playoffs.

Seeded 19th, West  (21-8) was making its third long trip in a five-day stretch, and that probably was a factor. The Falcons ran out of gas in the second half. They scored three points in the third quarter.

Senior Egypt Alexander, playing the final game of a great career, scored 10 points in the first quarter but didn’t score again. Abigail Wilson scored 15, but was held to five after halftime.

Mary Sobataka scored eight points, Gabrielle Blabon made two 3-pointers. Cindy Connolly (5), Shyanna Vaughters (2) and Chantal Robinson (1) also scored for the Falcons.

West trailed by 12 at halftime.

West went into the game with the plan of face-guarding Rockingham County’s high-scoring forward Madeline Hardy.

“I don’t know if they’ve seen a lot of that, but they were definitely ready for it and knew exactly what they wanted to do,” West coach Ashley Poole said. “They’re good. They just kept getting the ball to (Amaiyah) Moyer, and she killed us.”

Moyer, who averages 9, scored 21. Hardy ended up getting her average. She had 23. Rockingham County is 25-4 and will play at Northern Guilford next.

West will return three of its top four scorers in Wilson, Sobataka and Taylor Poole.

“I told people before the season that I thought we could 20 games, and they said I was crazy,” Coach Poole said. “But we won 21. We won two playoff games.  We had a successful season, and we’ve still got a  young team.”

Comets romp

NEWLAND — North Stanly’s boys led 50-22 at halftime and crushed Avery County, 90-49, on Saturday in the third round of the 1A state playoffs.

Bryson Childress  had 20 at halftime and scored  25 for the Comets (24-5), while Jason Doerr had 20.

North Stanly will play at Winston-Salem Prep next.

Bulls fall

CHARLOTTE — Journey Muhammad scored 27 points to lead  fourth-seeded Ardrey Kell to a 73-64 win against Hickory Ridge’s girls on Saturday in the 4A playoffs.   Jiera Shears scored 15 to lead the fifth-seeded Bulls (26-2). Gabby Smith grabbed her 1,000th career rebound.

Women’s basketball

Avery Locklear (South Rowan) scored seven points for UNC Pembroke in Saturday’s 65-53 loss to Flagler.

Locklear joined elite company in UNC Pembroke women’s basketball history when the junior was one of seven players in the NCAA Southeast Region to earn a spot on the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District team.

A two-time Peach Belt Conference (PBC) All-Academic Team selection and the 2016-17 PBC Elite 15 Award winner, Locklear maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in history at UNCP.

Locklear is averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season in 25 games played. The junior eclipsed the 500-point mark for her career against Georgia College on Feb. 3 and matched a career high with 18 points and six field goals made against Mount Olive on Nov. 17. Locklear has scored at least 10 points on 21 occasions in her career.

Catawba softball

Catawba’s softball team    pushed its win streak to five games by sweeping USC Aiken Aiken at Whitley Field on Saturday.

Allie Baker (A.L. Brown) had five hits in the doubleheader.

Catawba (8-4) took a 6-2 win in Game 1. Grace Holland’s three-run homer was the key blow. Madison Hunter got the win in the circle, and Brooke Walser provided critical relief.

• In the second game, freshman Jordan Dean won it, 5-4, with a walk-off double. Walser got the win in the circle.

Catawba will host Young Harris for a 1 p.m. doubleheader today.

College lacrosse

Catawba rolled to a 27-12 victory over visiting Chowan in men’s lacrosse action on Friday afternoon at Shuford Stadium. The win moves the Catawba Indians to 1-2 on the year, while the Hawks fall to 2-2.

Cole Fanzo scored six goals for Catawba.

Middle schools

Erwin’s girls advanced in the first round of the jayvee tournament by beating  Southeast, 41-32.

Icesis Nwafor scored 15 for the Eagles.

Peyton Whicker had 11, and Kierstyn Bomely scored eight.

Southeast was led by Dondrea Carmicheal and Laney Reilly with 11 each.