By Bill Kiser
rgallagher@salisburypost.com
STATESVILLE ó West Rowan’s K.J. Sherrill tried to get a little fancy with a reverse one-handed dunk during the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game against Statesville.
Sherrill’s attempt wound up bouncing off the rim and nearly into the rafters, but it was his lone blemish in leading the Falcons to a 71-50 North Piedmont Conference win over the Greyhounds.
Sherrill scored 24 points and nearly had a triple-double for West Rowan (18-2, 14-1), which remains one-half game back of Lake Norman in the league standings.
The blown dunk nonwithstanding ó he had three others Friday ó Sherrill hit 11 of 14 from the field (including his only 3-point attempt), pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked nine shots as the Falcons won their eighth straight game.
“I kinda like playing here,” Sherrill said of Statesville’s gym. “I’ve got friends and family here.”
And his teammates needed the Charlotte signee to step up Friday.
West shot better than 45 percent from the field, hitting 30 of 66 ó but take away Sherrill’s numbers, and that figure drops to 36.5 percent. Only one other player ó reserve Jason Grant with 10 points ó scored in double figures for the Falcons.
And helped by Sherrill’s defense, the Greyhounds were held to less than 28 percent shooting, and to no 3-pointers after nailing four in the second quarter alone.
“He always seems to play well here,” West head coach Mike Gurley said. “And our guys took good shots, they just didn’t go in.
“But we’ve got another game (today) against Mooresville, and hopefully those shots will fall in.”
The shots certainly weren’t falling for Statesville in the first quarter ó just 1-of-17 from the field ó as the Falcons pulled ahead 18-6, and increased their lead to 22-6 early in the second quarter.
The Greyhounds twice pulled within five points, the last at 31-26 with 1:15 left.
But Sherrill hit a jumper and slammed home a two-handed dunk over a 30-second span to push the Falcons’ lead to 35-26 at the half.
Sherrill then scored six points during a 10-2 run to open the third quarter ó capping it by driving past Rashad Wasscow for a one-handed dunk ó to put West ahead 45-28 with 4:58 left.
west ROWAN (71) ó K.J. Sherrill 24, Grant 10, K. Kimber 8, Keshun Sherrill 7, Moore 7, Parks 6, Smith 4, Crucitti 4, B.J. Sherrill 1, Phifer, Noble, Huffman, Gore.
Statesville (50) ó Schofield 15, Carr 14, Mott 7, Feimster 6, Edwards 4, Lackey 4, Wasscow.W. Rowan 18 17 24 14 ó 71
Statesville 6 20 10 14 ó 50