By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
Javon Hargave’s blocked shot in the closing seconds preserved North Rowan’s heated 59-57 victory over South Rowan in a Moir Christmas Classic boys semifinal on Tuesday.
There were 15 lead changes and the teams were never separated by more than six points. North held a one-point lead at the end of each of the first three quarters. Hargave’s block ensured a two-point lead at the end.
Daniel Chambers’ stickback of a missed free throw with nine seconds left provided the deciding points and had South coach John Davis pleading for an over-the-back call.
Second-seeded North (8-1) advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2000. The Cavs will play No. 5 seed Salisbury (4-3) tonight at 8 p.m.
“It feels good for North Rowan to be back in a championship game,” Hargrave said. “It’s been a lot of 8 a.m. practices to get here, but we played good today. We were nervous that first round, but then we got the nerves out.”North’s Kelly Everhart is a veteran. He coached the Cavs to their 2000 championship when he had players such as Bryan McCullough, Marcus Reddick and Marcus Lawing.
“It has been a long time , but we have a group of young guys who are excited,” he said. “This was a great team victory today. We got a contribution from everybody.”
Pierre Givens scored 16 points for the Cavaliers, while Chambers (14), Oshon West (13) and Hargave (10) also scored in double digits. Chambers had 11 rebounds.
Brad Akers was the victim of Hargave’s block, but his 3-point shooting from the corners gave sixth-seeded South (5-7) a chance. He made five 3s and scored 16.
Blake Houston scored 15 points, while Mark McDaniel had 14. B.J. Grant pulled down 11 rebounds.
North was whistled for 16 fouls, five more than South, but Davis was seething about no-calls on a number of Raider drives.
“We make our living on the foul line, and our game is predicated on driving and drawing fouls,” he said. “A lot of fouls weren’t called. If it’s going to be a street-fight instead of a basketball game, next time call me and let me know.”
North opened a 33-27 lead but Houston got hot. When he hit two 3s and two free throws in the span of a minute it was 41-all late in the third quarter.
“South’s hard to defend,” Everhart said. “They’re very good at spreading you out, and everybody out there can score.”
Givens took charge for North in the fourth quarter, pushing the ball, finding teammates, making steals, making sharp decisions.
“I thought we came out sloppy and South’s shooters made everything,” he said. “But we were determined to turn it around.”
Givens put North ahead 55-51 with a drive with 1:48 remaining, but McDaniel scored five straight points for a 56-55 South lead.
Two clutch free throws by Hargrave put North back on top with 44 seconds left. With 21 seconds left, South senior John Davis made one free throw for a 57-all tie. He missed his second shot, and North got the ball after a wild scramble.
When North’s Greg Sims was fouled on a reach 35 feet from the hoop with 12 seconds left, he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Grant had inside position, but when the ball bounced high off the back iron, Chambers powered in for the crucial stickback.
On South’s final possession, McDaniel, a southpaw, accelerated down the right side of the floor and shoveled the ball to Akers in the corner. Hargave was on top of him, but Akers had no choice but to try to get a shot up. Hargave smothered it.
“I knew he had to shoot it, and if he’d let it go he’d have made it because he hit everything he shot today,” Hargave said. “He stayed hot that whole game.”
SOUTH ROWAN (57) ó Akers 16, Houston 15, McDaniel 14, Davis 9, Grant 3, Maxwell, Glaspy.north rowan (59) ó Givens 16, Chambers 14, West 13, Hargrave 10, Starks 4, Sims 2, Smyre, Bush, Barker, Ford, Witherspoon.
S. Rowan 14 8 20 15 ó 57
N. Rowan 15 8 20 16 ó 59