From staff reports
MVP Derrick Copeland scored 21 points to lead A.L. Brownís boys basketball team to the championship of the CMC NorthEast Holiday Classic on Friday.
With Copeland hitting five 3s, Brown beat West Brunswick 64-48 in the title game at Cox Mill. He finished the tournament with 68 points.
All-tournament pick Braxton Waddell scored 17 points for the Wonders, and Keeon Johnson added eight.
The Wonders played without Michael Carr (ankle) and still have Tevin Stark (knee) on the shelf.
ěBut weíre starting to play much better and weíre taking a lot better care of the basketball now,î A.L. Brown coach Shelwyn Klutz said. ěOur guys played hard and we moved the ball around tonight. Iím just very proud of all of them right now. Hopefully, this will be a springboard in the conference.î
It was Brownís first Christmas tournament title since 2004.
The Wonders (7-4) are 0-3 in the SPC. Theyíll return to SPC play against Mount Pleasant on Tuesday.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
A.L. BROWN (64) ó Copeland 21, Waddell 17, Johnson 8, Washington 5, Moss 5, Shepard 5, Lott 2, Jones 1.
W. BRUNSWICK (46) ó Buffin 12, Jacobs 12, Gause 7, Gore 4, McNeill 4, Jones 2, Strickland 2, Clarke 1, Smyth 1, Cheers 1.
A.L. Brown 17 17 17 13 ó 64
W. Brunswick 8 13 11 16 ó 48
n A.L. Brown girls romp
A.L. Brownís girls won the CMC NorthEast Holiday Classic basketball tournament with an emphatic 63-17 win against host Cox Mill on Friday.
Brown led 21-2 after the first quarter.
Sara Tuttle scored 17 points and was named tourney MVP. Jayvee callup Mackenzie Rodgers and Briana Chalmers scored seven apiece.
Wonders Bianca Smith and Aitana Grant were named to the all-tournament team.
The Wonders (7-4) have won their last five games.
n A.L. Brownís girls topped Central Cabarrus 33-23 in a sluggish semifinal on Thursday. Smith led the Wonders with 11 points, while Endia Cannon had seven.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
A.L. BROWN (63) ó Tuttle 17, Rodgers 7, Chalmers 7, Raper 6, Brice 6, Cannon 5, Vernon 4, Lane 3, Smith 3, Phifer 3, Shue 2, Grant.
COX MILL (17) ó Cella 6, Ballard 4, Earl 3, Slice 2, McLamb 2, Stafford, Davis, Vasquez, Thetford, Cella, Joshi, Kerharia.
A.L. Brown 21 10 17 15 ó 63
Cox Mill 2 6 2 7 ó 17
n Catawba basketball
Catawbaís menís basketball team returned to action on Friday, but the results werenít ideal.
Catawba fell to Limestone 78-66 in the Timken Center in Gaffney, S.C.
Keon Moore hit four 3-pointers and scored 30 points in a losing cause, and Tyrece Little scored 20. Justin Huntley had seven points and four assists.
Catawba was a dismal 4-for-23 on 3s, with Indians not named Keon going 0-for-12 from behind the arc.
Catawba won the board battle and made fewer turnovers, but Limestone shot 59.6 percent, while the Indians checked in at 33.3 percent.
Center Phillip Moultrie scored 21 for the Saints, who were able to hang on after the Indians trimmed a 19-point deficit to a single point in the second half. Charles Blue had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
CATAWBA (66) ó Moore 30, Little 20, Huntley 7, Gilmore 5, Martin 3, Drakeford 1, Lovelace, Smogner, Knight, Watson, Tyree, Thomson.
LIMESTONE (78) ó Moultrie 21, Blue 17, Sloan 15, McNeill 9, Debnam 8, Corry 5, Bogdan 3, Long.
Catawba 27 39 ó 66
Limestone 45 33 ó 78
n Menís college basketball
Livingstone is home today at 2 p.m. against Pfeiffer.
n Wingate rallied to beat Belmont Abbey 83-77 on Friday. Eddie Lewis went 6-for-6 on 3-pointers for the Bulldogs.
n Boys prep basketball
South Davidsonís boys (10-3) won their first ever Christmas Classic.
The sophomore Hatfield twins, Austin and Taylor, combined for 63 points in a 96-72 rout of East Davidson in the title game. MVP Austin Hatfield hit eight 3-pointers.
The venerable Jim Young, who has guided Davie and East Rowan squads in the past, is in his first year coaching at South Davidson.
Youngís daughter, Brittini, who was the No. 4 all-time scorer at Mars Hill with 1,731 points, is now a graduate assistant at Columbus State.
n Top-seeded Statesville won the Record & Landmarkís Holiday Classic by whipping Lake Norman 61-45.
Josh Gaither scored 20 points and earned MVP honors. Nick Schofield and Jaquan Warren had 13 apiece.
n Girls prep basketball
North Iredell standout Bri Johnson is still out as she recovers from a torn ACL, but her sister, Mariah, led the second-seeded Raiders to a 46-25 romp against Lake Norman in the championship game of the Record & Landmarkís Holiday Classic.
Johnson went 9-for-11 from the line, scored 13 points and earned MVP honors. She also held Lake Normanís UNC Asheville signee Marissa Riley to six points.
North Iredell (8-3) repeated as tournament champ and should have some exciting NPC battles with Carson this season.
n East wrestling
East Rowanís wrestlers won twice in a tri-meet at Anson on Thursday.
Coach Barry Justusí squad beat Richmond County 39-31 and topped Chesterfield (S.C.) 46-30.
In a tournament at North Mecklenburg on Friday, East bumped its record to 14-2 with wins against Southlake (39-36), West Meck (48-31), St. Markís (78-0), Asheville Reynolds (60-18) and East Forsyth (43-30).
Mark Almeida, 126 pounds, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the North Meck Dual Tournament and picked up his 100th career win. He went 7-0 at Anson and North Meck.
Other records for the two days included Donald Schlesselman (7-0), Logan Haas (6-1), Wyatt Blume (6-1), Justin Smith (6-1), Jason Deutsch (5-0), Morgan Crawford (5-2), Shiheem Saunders (4-3), Robert Barringer (3-1), Griffin Nelson (2-2), Darrell Taylor (1-0), Kevin Phillips (2-5), Raykwon Torrence (2-5) and Joseph Patterson (1-5).
East has a home NPC match against South Rowan on Wednesday.
n North boosters
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m., the North Rowan Boosters will hold their monthly meeting. It also will be a ěMeet Joe Nixonî night.
Nixon was recently named the new head football coach of the Cavaliers.
n Livingstone football
Livingstone sophomore linebacker Tyheim Pitt is a finalist for the BSN Beyond Sports Network D-II All America team.
Pitt led D-II in solo tackles most of the season and had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
n South Y programs
South Rowan YMCA is accepting registrations through Feb. 4 for its church league basketball program.
The fee for a team is $425. Teams furnish their own jerseys.
Games begin the week of Feb. 20 and will be played on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Carvie Kepley at the South Y at 704-857-7011 or ckepley@rowanYMCA.com.
n East baseball
East Rowan is hosting a six-week baseball camp, starting Jan. 8.
East head coach Brian Hightower will direct the program in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy.
Sessions are offered in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning.
Space is limited. Registration is under way. Visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com or call 866-622-4487 toll-free .
n East Rowan Diamond Sports is holding registration for spring baseball for all ages ó T-Ball, Coach Pitch, Minors and Majors ó at the East Rowan cafeteria on Sundays from 2-4. Dates are Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29. T-ball is $65. Other levels are $75.
n Jr. Bobcats
Salisbury Parks and Recreation is taking registrations for its Jr. Bobcats girls league (ages 7-15) and its coed basketball league (ages 5-6). Registration is $35 at Hall Gym until Jan. 14. Contact Lakai Brice at 704-638-5289 or lbric@salisburync.gov.