From staff reports
Shayla Fields (Salisbury) scored 17 points on Sunday. She shared team
scoring honors with Ashley Key and helped N.C. State’s women’s
basketball team hammer East Carolina 64-38.
Fields also had four rebounds and three assists for the Wolfpack (8-2).
* Livingstone splits with Panthers
The Livingstone women’s basketball team won a CIAA road game on
Saturday night, taking a 61-54 decision at Virginia Union.
Clintoria Bryant scored 18 points for the Blue Bears (2-5). Kim Westray
had six rebounds.
Livingstone’s Lina Brown (13.4 points per game) is the No. 11 scorer in
the CIAA. * Livingstone’s men lost to Virginia Union 55-48. Livingstone
trailed by one point with 3:09 remaining, but Virginia Union (5-0) hung
on. Brent Cowles led the Blue Bears (2-6) with 19 points against the
CIAA’s top defensive team.
Livingstone’s men have been the CIAA’s worst-shooting team (38.6
percent from the field), but they are second in scoring defense (67.4
points a game).
Livingstone’s Michael Duncan (16.0) ranks 13th in the CIAA in scoring.
* Prep wrestling
Davie County’s wrestling team beat West Rowan 46-30. West’s next match
is Wednesday at home against Salisbury.
* Boys prep basketball notes
West Rowan coach Mike Gurley yells “Hercules!” at the top of of his
lungs just about every time freshman Chris Smith touches the ball.
Gurley explained the reference isn’t to Hercules, the strongman from
Greek mythology. Instead it’s a nod to Ernie “Hercules” Klump Jr. from
the “Nutty Professor,” an Eddie Murphy comedy that appeared in the
mid-1990s. Smith reminds Gurley of a scene from the movie, and he can’t
look at Smith without smiling.
Smith has averaged 5.6 points in unbeaten West’s first five games and
looks like a nice complementary player this season and a potential
future stud.
“There were a lot of questions about whether Chris could play varsity
as a freshman, much less start for us,” Gurley said. “But he’s such a
good-natured youngster, and he keeps growing as a player every day.”
Gurley said he has at least seven starter-worthy players and plans to
rotate the two spots alongside Jamel Carpenter, K.J. Sherrill and K.P.
Parks, depending on the matchup. Soph Kaleb Kimber may be hard to keep
out of the lineup, however.
* The East Rowan-West rematch looms on Tuesday in Granite Quarry. The
first meeting, won by West 76-74, was the game of the year to date.
* East has hit 42 3-pointers in five games, including 11 by Kenan
McKenzie. Justin Vanderford and Kurt Misenheimer have drained 10
apiece.
* Vanderford gets to the line a lot and is making his trips count. He’s
20-for-24 from the stripe.
* East point guard Spenser Davis hasn’t scored a lot, but he’s
averaging 6.2 assists and 3.2 steals and averages just one turnover a
game.
* East faces a tough back-to-back challenge this week, as it goes to
Salisbury on Wednesday. Playing West and Salisbury on consecutive
nights will be like a Christmas tournament semifinal and final.
* West (5-0), East (4-1) and Salisbury (3-1) are the teams with a shot
at landing the top seed and a first-day bye in the Christmas
tournament.
* Carson freshman post player Darius Moose has been impressive since
being promoted to the varsity. Moose is averaging 9.3 points in three
outings. * South Rowan looks for revenge tonight when it plays
Mooresville at home. South lost to the Blue Devils 79-70 on Friday.
* West YMCA programs
Registration runs through Dec. 18 for West Rowan Y’s indoor soccer
programs. Programs are for boys and girls Pre-K to ninth grade. The
cost is $35 for members and $59 for non-members.
* The West Y is registering players for boys basketball through Jan.
16. The programs are for grades 2-8. Cost is $35 for members and $59
for non-members. Contact John Peterson at 704-636-0111.