By Jordan Honeycutt
sports@salisburypost.com
STATESVILLE — The South Rowan girls tried their best to give the game to West Iredell Tuesday –– but the Warriors ended up being in a more giving mood, falling 56-47.
With less than a minute remaining, and West Iredell trailing 50-47, Elizabeth Webb’s runner bounced off the rim and to the floor, igniting a fierce scramble for the ball between South’s Lauren “Goose” Miller and Chelsea Ellis of the Warriors.
As the ref signaled a tie ball, something else caught his eye and he immediately “T’d up” Ellis.
“She definitely kicked at me while I was on the floor,” Miller said.
Upon receiving news of Ellis’ technical, West Iredell coach Phil Fox exploded with some choice words and was handed one of his own, earning South six free throws.
Miller, who was fouled by Ellis on the ground, calmly toed the line and swished the first two from the personal foul.
At this point South coach Jarrod Smith could have sent any one of his Raiders to the line for the technicals, but he chose to stay with Miller.
“I told my assistant that if she made the first two, then she was staying out there,” Smith said.
Miller once again stepped to the line and nailed two more, and then two more again, finishing her night a stellar 11-for-12 from the charity stripe.
“Free throws are a bit of a comfort zone for me,” Miller said. “I don’t let myself think about anything regarding pressure or none of that and just keep my head clear and focus.”
Aiding Miller in the victory were freshman Avery Locklear with 13 points and Lynsey Corriher’s 11.
“I was extremely frustrated with our defense in the first half and it was unacceptable,” Smith said.
“In the fourth quarter, in about the last four minutes or so, I went to a box-in-one on Webb, using Alexa Allison as the primary defender and she did a tremendous job and deserves a lot of credit for this win.”
The Webb that coach Smith referred to is the same Webb, West Iredell’s sharp-shooting guard.
Fox, however, didn’t want to speak on the technical, keying on other miscues as reasons for losing.
“You can’t win a close game shooting 9-for-20 from the line,” Fox said.
“Their defense on Elizabeth didn’t bother us too much. She just didn’t get any more jumpers, but still got to the rim for layups. We just blew it at the line and with turnovers.”
SOUTH ROWAN (56) — Miller 15, Locklear 13, L.Corriher 11, Jones 8, Register 4, K.Corriher 3, McConneaughey 2, Honeycutt, Allison.
WEST IREDELL (47) — Webb 17, Gaines 10,Ellis 9, Coleman 4, Bolick 3, Dagenhart 2, Feimster 2, Frye, Rambo.
S. Rowan 08 08 17 23 — 56
W. Iredell 07 07 12 21 — 47