From staff reports
The Moir notebook …The Moir all-tournament boys team included Salisbury’s Darien Rankin and Jahaan Hailey, North’s Pierre Givens and Daniel Chambers, Carson’s Cody Clanton and Davie’s Jamal Mayfield.
Davie looked pretty miserable in the opening round in losing quietly to South Rowan, but Mayfield helped the War Eagles win two games for fifth place. He was 6-for-10 on 3s, shot 64.3 percent for the tournament, racked up 12 assists and scored 48 points. He was second to Salisbury’s Hailey (51) in tournament scoring.
Rankin averaged 15.7 points a game and got the MVP nod over Hailey ó his second straight awardó partly because he scored eight points in in the fourth quarter of the final.
Clanton was the only Carson starter who played well (18 points) in a semifinal loss to Salisbury and turned in another strong, double-figure effort as the Cougars beat South for third place.
Givens (12.0 ppg) and Chambers (11.0) were North’s leading scorers in the event.
Salisbury’s John Knox, who scored 26 points, led the tournament in assists (14) and was third in rebounds (29) didn’t make the all-tournament team. Coach Jason Causby was also disappointed hustler Dominique Phillips, who had eight boards and eight points in the title game, wasn’t on the team.
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HAILEY’S A COMET: Hailey’s role as a zone-buster is huge for the Hornets. He made seven 3s in the tournament, including three in the championship game.
“We needed every bucket against North,” he said. “They finally got a little bit tired and I was able to find some open spots.”
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LCA: The Hornets call it LCA. That’s short for lights, camera, action.
When it’s time to take charge in the fourth quarter, they usually do.
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TOUGH NIGHT: North junior post man Javon Hargrave had a frustrating, scoreless night.
He was in foul trouble (finishing with four personal), but he never got to the foul line himself despite pulling down four offensive rebounds and being involved in frequent contact.
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IMPRESSED: North’s second-place finish is something to build on.
“Hats off to Kelly (Everhart) and his guys,” Causby said. “They’re right there. That’s going to be an awfully tough team in 1A and for years to come in the county.”
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THE DUNK: North freshman Malik Ford wowed the world with the best jam of this year’s Moir against Salisbury.
“It was big, and we’re hoping that’s a play that gives him a lot of confidence,” Everhart said.
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ANNUAL CALL: Causby got his annual Christmas phone call from a former Hornet ó University of Rio Grande junior Doug Campbell.
“Doug always says to beat East Rowan and to win the Christmas tournament,” Causby said with a smile.
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STAR GAZING: The Davie bench had a Catawba flair with 6-foot-7 Cliff Burns, a former Indian starter, serving an internship as an assistant to his former coach Mike Absher.
Burns is working with Davie’s talented 6-5 center Shannon Dillard. And how’s it going with that, Cliff?
“If he develops a face-up game, he’s going to be scary,” Burns said. “But sometimes, I just want to grab him by his head.”
Absher loved hearing that.
“The funny thing is, Cliff knows how we feel now,” Absher laughed. “He sees the frustration that can kick in as a coach.”
Burns says he still gets the urge to suit up. He was on two Moir title teams in 2003 and 2004, winning the MVP award his junior season. Being a part of it again is something he enjoys.
“It’s a great tournament,” Burns said. “In my four years of college, I never played in front of crowds as big as the ones here.”
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POTENTIAL: Some stars are born in the Moir. Is Olivia Sabo one of them?
In East’s two victories, the 6-foot junior grabbed 30 rebounds. She had 16 in a win against South on Tuesday and 14 more in a fifth-place victory Wednesday against North.
She also hit big buckets late in each game.
No one is happier than coach Karen Garmon, who has tried to drive it home to Sabo that she can ultimately be a force.
“Olivia is doing a great job inside,” Garmon said. “I’m trying to motivate her, make her meaner and more aggressive. She’s done that in the last two games.”
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AN “I” IN TEAM: Last season, West Rowan boys coach Mike Gurley didn’t like 6-5 junior Isiah Cuthbertson sitting the bench and losing confidence. So he sent him to the jayvees.
The move worked as Cuthbertson began realizing he could produce. Then he got tougher by playing football in his senior year.
It showed in a loss to Davie on Wednesday. Now, 6-6, Cuthbertson had his first varsity double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He’ll be an added weapon inside once 6-3 forward Chris Smith joins the team next week.
Smith and point guard K.P. Parks are playing in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Myrtle Beach’s Doug Shaw Stadium.
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FLOOR BURNS: Carson’s Chloe Monroe ended the first half with two 3-pointers and scored 10 points in a 45-39 loss to Davie.
She went to the floor to preserve one fourth-quarter possession for the Cougars and nearly made a steal while sprinting the length of the court to knock the ball away from a Davie guard.
“The last couple games she picked up the intensity a lot more, really played hard and played a lot better,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “She doesn’t mind getting on the floor and doing the dirty work.”
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Ronnie Gallagher, Mike London and Bret Strelow contributed to the notebook.