By David Shaw
dshaw@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó An uneven start cost South Rowan a chance to hang with one of the NPC’s elite teams Friday night.
The host Raiders surrendered 14 straight points to league-leading Lake Norman and never recovered in a 69-50 loss.
“That first quarter was the game,” South’s Reid Shaver said. “What were we down, 15? That’s what we’ve been doing all year. We get down in the beginning and have to dig our way out.”
This time the Raiders (10-10, 7-7 NPC) ó who led 2-0 on Shaver’s opening-minute layup ó trailed 20-7 after one period and couldn’t scoop their way out. They remained fourth in the conference standings.
“We got the first basket and let them roll off about 14 in a row,” South coach John Davis said. “And we can’t afford to let that happen. We can’t get down and have to fight from behind.”
Lake Norman (18-1, 13-1) extended its lead to 26-10 when Gabe Mercer drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key just two minutes into the second quarter.
The Wildcats were paced by sharp-shooting forward Matt Denyes, who scored 16 points and hit buzzer-beating shots at the end of the second and third quarters.
“He doesn’t mind taking the big shot,” Lake Norman coach Brandon Jolly said. “He’s a smart player who is always in the right position to shoot. He never makes a mistake that’s gonna hurt you in the game.”
South’s Hunter Morrison netted a game-best 17 points, though he made only two baskets in the second half and was shut out in the fourth period. Lake Norman often double-teamed him, though most of the defensive coverage was provided by point guard Kevin Canevari.
“That point guard could play defense,” Morrison said. “I could still get my shots off, but he made me work for everything.”
Davis agreed.
“(Canevari) is an impressive kid,” he said. “He moves his feet. He anticipates. He knows the game well. And he’ll make you work for shots.”
South managed to work its way back into the game in the third quarter, drawing within 46-40 when Dakota Walker snatched an offensive rebound and hit a putback with three minutes left in the period. And Shaver’s three-point play early in the fourth pulled the Raiders within 52-45.
Lake Norman responded with an 8-0 run the put the game out of reach.
“It was a game of spurts,” said Shaver, who contributed 15 points. “Granted they did shoot lights out. But it seemed like we’d go on a run and then they’d go on a run. We just couldn’t catch them.”
It wasn’t surprising that the Wildcats scored the game’s final nine points.
South’s last one came on a B.J. Grant free throw with 4:01 remaining. Morrison was a bit frustrated in the post-game locker room, but he found a positive aspect to the loss.
“It shows we can compete with the best out there,” he said. “But it’s one thing to compete for a while and another to put four quarters together. We didn’t.”
lake norman (69) ó Denyes 16, Larsen 14, Price 12, Mercer 8, Eller 8, Canevari 5, Graham 3, Whalen 2, Kerr 1.
sOUTH ROWAN (50) ó Morrison 17, Shaver 15, Walker 8, Grant 4, Corriher 3, Davis 3, Houston, Johnson.L. Norman 20 17 15 17 ó 69
S. Rowan 7 22 13 8 ó 50