State Championship Roundup

Associated Press

RALEIGH — Reggie Price scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the final quarter as Lake Norman defeated Fayetteville Sanford 63-46 for the Class 4-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association men's championship Saturday night at Reynolds Coliseum.

The Wildcats made 15 of 19 free throws down the stretch, including nine straight.

"Lake Norman is a solid, fundamentally sound basketball team," said coach Bill Boyette, whose Fayetteville Sanford team lost its second straight title game and its first game of the season after winning 31 straight. "We missed the front ends of some critical 1-and-1's and they hit their free throws. They were very deserving to win this game tonight."

Center Paul Larsen dominated inside for Lake Norman (26-3), with 18 points and eight rebounds, to earn game Most Valuable Player honors.

Lake Norman, playing in its first state championship, was the third consecutive western North Carolina champion to win in 4-A and the 19th in the past 25 seasons.

Fayetteville Sanford (31-1) suffered its second straight title-game defeat.

Lake Norman trailed 31-26 at halftime and 41-40 after three quarters before Fayetteville Sanford went scoreless for the first 4:35 of the final period to fall behind 50-41.

4A GIRLS

RALEIGH — North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year Cierra Burdick scored 28 points and was named the game Most Valuable Player, and center Clair Watkins added 20 as Matthews Butler defeated Morrisville Green Hope 87-61.

The 87 points by Butler (25-4)are the most scored in a Class 4-A championship game, surpassing the 80 scored by Morganton Freedom in the 1994 title game. It was also the second-most in state championship history behind the 101 scored by High Point Central in the 1993 Class 3-A championship.

Green Hope (31-1) high-scoring sophomore center Kristen Gaffney, who came into the game averaging 26.9 points per game, had to work extremely hard to break free of Burdick, a junior who has committed to the University of Tennessee, for her 25 points.

Butler never trailed in winning its first state championship in its first appearance. The Bulldogs led 22-9 after one quarter and then pushed it up to 23 at halftime (42-19) over the previously unbeaten Falcons, who were also appearing in their first championship.

3A GIRLS

CHAPEL HILL— Shannon Smith's 26 points led Gastonia Forestview to a hard-fought 62-55 win over South Central Pitt.

It was a sweet day for the Jaguars (27-2), who lost to Greensboro Dudley 60-58 in last season's state title game.

Forestview, which opened in 1998, won its first NCHSAA state team championship of any kind. Kelsey Harris added 13 points and Bre Armstrong 10 for Forestview, which has won 16 straight games.

South Central (28-5), which opened in 2002, is still seeking its first NCHSAA state title. Danielle Butts had 17 points and 13 rebounds for South Central, while JaNesha Ebron added 16 points.

Forestview led 17-8 after the first quarter and never again trailed.

2A BOYS

RALEIGH — High expectations can weigh down any team, but Reggie Bullock wouldn't let a sub-par game keep him and his Kinston teammates from a state basketball championship this year.

With University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams watching from the sidelines, the UNC-bound forward overcame a poor shooting night and helped lead the Vikings to a 51-29 victory over West Caldwellat Reynolds Coliseum.

Kinston (28-4) captured the school's seventh state championship and Bullock was named the game's most valuable player. He scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three steals. He surpassed 2,000 career points in the third quarter.

"My teammates did a great job pushing the ball in transition," said Bullock, who went 5-of-13 from the field. "We shot free throws well (12-of-15) and turned it up to a different level in the last three quarters."

West Caldwell (27-3) went seven minutes across the second and third quarters without scoring and Kinston turned a 14-11 deficit into a 22-14 advantage.

"The run in second quarter enabled us to get some separation," said Kinston coach Wells Gulledge. "We made a few adjustments and came out hard in the second half. I've been on the other end of the stick. It's tough to come all the way up here and drop one. There's no greater feeling to win your last ball game with no more left to play."

"Kinston comes at you and comes out hard," said West Caldwell coach Danny Anderson.

The 29 points was the lowest total in a state championship game since Matthews lost to Camp Lejeune 37-25 in the 1950 Class B title game.

1A BOYS

CHAPEL HILL — Isaac Blakeney poured in 24 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to lead Monroe to a 62-46 win over Goldsboro.

It was the second state title for the Redhawks (32-1) in four appearances in the state final. Their previous championship came in 1980 at the 2-A level.Jamison Crowder added 20 points and Quontez Threatt scored 10 for Monroe.

1A GIRLS

CHAPEL HILL — Megan Buckland led Kernersville McGuinness with 15 points to defeat Williamston 55-46 for the Class 1-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association women's basketball championship Saturday.

It was the fifth-straight state title for the Villains (23-7), who won despite playing the final nine and a half minutes without their star junior guard. Buckland went out with injury to her left knee, but not before she was named MVP of the title game for the second-straight year.

Sammi Goldsmith added 14 points and Erin Fitzgerald scored 11 for McGuinness.