From staff reports
Knoxís girls and Erwinís boys won championships in the Rowan County Middle School Conferenceís eighth-grade basketball tournament held at Southeast on Friday.
Seth Wyrickís driving layup with eight seconds to play gave the Erwin boys (15-2) a 47-45 victory in a thriller over No. 2 West Rowan.
Westís boys led 14-12 after a quarter behind Alexis Archie’s seven points. Erwin took a 26-22 halftime lead. West was on top 40-36 after three quarters.
Baskets by Jack Weisensel and Conor Honeycutt pulled Erwin within 42-40. After a free throw by West’s Celexus Long, Seth Wyrick came up with two big plays. First, he knocked in a 3-pointer to tie the score at 43. Seconds later, he came up with a steal and missed a transition layup. However, Honeycutt followed with a putback for a 45-43 lead. West tied it up on M.J. Raynerís putback with 36 seconds to play. Erwin held the ball until Seth Wyrick found an opening in Westís zone and drove in for the winning basket. West missed a 3-pointer from midcourt at the horn.
Coach Craig Johnsonís Eagles were led by Honeycuttís 14 points and seven rebounds. Harrison Bell had 11 points and eight rebounds. Seth Wyrick had 10 points and six boards. Samuel Wyrick, his twin, also made two 3s, scored eight points and contributed seven assists.
West, coached by Sam Moore, finished 13-4. Archie, who sat out the fourth quarter with four fouls until the 2:14 mark, had six rebounds and three assists. Rayner added 14 points and six assists. Long scored 10 points.
n Knoxís girls (16-1) edged Corriher-Lipe 34-31.
Knox led 17-13 at halftime. The Trojans held a 28-23 lead after three quarters. Back-to-back baskets by Cassidy Chipman and Alex Bare of Corriher-Lipe tied the score at 31 with 45 seconds to play. Knox got the final three points at the foul line on two free throws by Demeria Robinson and one by Bryanna Caldwell.
Ashley Blaire got coach Larry Speelman’s Trojans off to a fast start with seven first-quarter points and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Robinson, who guarded the Jacketsí Avery Locklear in a box-and-one defense, added nine points and five rebounds. Aaliyah Funderburk pulled down 13 rebounds and added five points. Caldwell had six rebounds. Tameria Riche had three assists.
Corriher-Lipe finished 14-3 under coach Doug Pruitt. Corriher-Lipeís Caroline Hubbard hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 points. Locklear had eight points and 10 rebounds. Chipman added six points and 10 rebounds.
n Brown gets road win
A.L. Brown halted a three-game losing streak with stout defense in a 50-37 win on Friday at Cox Mill.
Parish Smith led the Wonders (10-5, 6-3 SPC) with 15 points, while Teven Jones added 13.
ěIt feels so much better,î said coach Shelwyn Klutz. ěHopefully, this will get us back on track.
n Davie rolls on road
Davie Countyís boys used a 36-point performance by Nate Jones to beat West Forsyth on Friday.
Jones, a junior, had 24 points at halftime to propel Davie to a 50-37 lead. He hit five 3s.
Shannon Dillard scored 17 points for the War Eagles (15-3, 4-2 CPC), while Cody Martin scored 15.
n Jayvee hoops
Salisburyís boys fell to West Davidson 44-41 on Friday. The Hornets (6-6, 3-2) were led by Eric Edwards with 13 points.
n Salisburyís girls beat West Davidson 55-31 to stay unbeaten.
The Hornets (11-0, 5-0 CCC) were led by Danielle Harmonís 16 points. Daterria Connor contributed 14 points, Patreece Lattimore had eight, and Cheyenne Gloster and Monifa Angle scored five each.
n West Rowanís boys defeated Carson 49-35 on Friday behind eight points from Chris Hassard and NaJee Tucker. Keyows Weeks and Daisean Reddick each scored six for the Falcons.
Carsonís Colton Laws led all scorers with 15 points. Myquon Stout added 11 for the Cougars.
n Carsonís girls topped West Rowan 35-22 on Friday. Kate Cole and Taylor Barringer scored seven points apiece. Nikeya James led West with 13 points.
n South Rowanís girls lost to North Iredell 43-38 on Thursday.
Emma Pope scored nine points for the Raiders before fouling out. Elisha Davis scored eight, and Ashlyn Coley had six.
n Prep football
North Rowan defensive lineman Javon Hargrave plans to ink with South Carolina State on Feb. 2, National Signing Day.
n Prep wrestling
East Rowanís wrestlers won 78-6 against NPC foe Carson. East accepted nine forfeits and got pins from Morgan Crawford, Wyatt Blume, Kory Shaffer and Frankie Bell.
Nathan Hillís pin at 171 pounds accounted for the Cougarsí points.
See Scoreboard.
n College basketball
Livingstone plays at home tonight against Shaw in a CIAA Southern Division doubleheader that begins at 5:30 p.m.
The high-powered Livingstone men (9-5, 4-3 CIAA) rank second in the league in scoring at 79.5 points a game. Darius Cox averages 15.5 points per game to lead the Blue Bears. Shaw (11-6, 4-4) ranks second in the CIAA defensively, allowing 64.5 points a game. Shaw has the CIAAís No. 2 scorer in Raheem Smith, who averages 22.0 points per game.
Livingstoneís women (10-4, 5-2) will be looking for their first divisional win. Brittany Wright (14.5 ppg) leads the Blue Bears. Kyria Buford (16.3 ppg) leads Shaw.
n Catawba is on the road at Carson-Newman for a SAC doubleheader that starts at 6 p.m.
Dominick Reid scores 16.5 points per game for Catawba (7-10, 3-6), while the Eagles (8-9, 5-4) are usually led by Antonio Sullivan (13.4 ppg).
Catawbaís women (11-8, 5-4) have dropped into a tie for fifth and will be trying to stop a four-game slide.
Catawbaís Dana Hicks leads the league in rebounding, pulling down 11.8 per game.
n Pfeifferís men play at District of Columbia this afternoon at 3 p.m.
Pfeiffer Chris Woods leads Conference Carolinas in scoring (24.5 ppg) and rebounding (11.0).
n 7th-grade basketball
West Rowanís boys beat Mooresville 51-30. Kreshon Alexander scored 23 points to lead the Bulldogs (1-1).
Dearius Phillips had seven points and nine rebounds. Devon Morrison had eight boards. Phillips and Morrison combined for five blocks. John Lindsey made six steals.
Alex Yang scored 16 points for the Patriots (1-1). Bryson Collins added six. Sandon McCoy had four steals, and Austin Russ had a good game on the boards.
n Knoxís girls defeated Corriher-Lipe 23-22 in overtime behind Aliyah Farmerís 15 points. Lainy Slate sent the game into overtime with a free throw.
n Knoxís boys beat North Rowan 52-27. Jalen Sanders scored 10 point, and Corban Ushry dished out eight assists.
n Knoxís boys (2-0) rolled against Corriher-Lipe 49-27. Sanders scored 14 points. Ushry had 12 points and nine assists.
n North Hills basketball
The North Hills varsity girls dropped a 41-40 battle to Woodland.
Abby Lane scored 18 points for the Eagles. Lauren Butner had seven, Natalie Whicker scored six, and Candace-Craige Lyerly had five.n The North Hills middle schoolboys basketball team defeated Mooresville Christian 52-27.
Leading the way for North Hills was Jay Wood with 11 points and Leonard Murdock with eight.
Luke Humble, Grayson Whicker, Wes Fazia, Logan Miller and Alex Link scored six each for the Eagles (6-2).