Staff report

Knox’s top-seeded eight-grade boys basketball team rallied in the final two minutes to pull out a 55-52 victory over No. 2 West Rowan in the championship game of the Rowan County Middle School Conference Tournament on Wednesday.

Knox (15-0) avenged a loss to West in the seventh-grade championship game a year ago.

West led 27-25 at halftime and 45-36 after three quarters. West still led by six points with about two minutes, but Knox rallied.

Darien Rankin led the Trojans with 19 points and was their top rebounder. Romar Morris (13), Chris Rankin (nine), Alex Weant (seven) and Devonte Horne (six) were the other top scorers for the Trojans.

Dominique Noble scored 14 points for the Bulldogs. Clifford Long scored 12, and Calvin Turner had six. B.J. Sherrill had nine rebounds.

n Southeast’s top-seeded girls defeated second-seeded Knox 41-39.

Southeast (13-1) and Knox (12-3) split during the regular season. Southeast also topped Knox in the seventh-grade finals last year.

Details of the girls championship game should appear in Friday’s Post.