Catawba splits two thrillers

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 28, 2013

From staff reports

Catawba’s men’s basketball team won 60-58 against Carson-Newman at Goodman Gym on Wednesday in the Indians’ final home game.
Reggie Perkins made three clutch free throws for the Indians (9-16, 6-11 SAC) in the final 17 seconds.
Lee Martin had a huge steal with 37 seconds left and Catawba clinging to a one-point lead.
Tyrece Little had 21 points and 11 boards to lead the Indians in the upset.
Elon Edwards shot 6-for-7 on 3s and scored 20 points.
Martin had 11 rebounds, as Catawba dominated the glass.
Catawba led by eight points at halftime.
The Indians will be seeded seventh in next week’s SAC tournament and will be on the road in the first round.
Ishmael Sanders led Carson-Newman (19-6, 12-5) with 17 points.

Catawba women fall

Carson-Newman’s women’s basketball team withstood a late Catawba rally and beat the Indians 60-59 at Goodman Gym on Wednesday.
A hot streak by Carson-Newman’s Tatum Burstrom, who hit six 3-pointers, keyed the Eagles’ road victory.
Catawba (15-10, 11-6) trailed by 12 with 7:28 remaining, but pulled within one point at the 2:09 mark before Burstrom hit two free throws.
Taylor May (South Rowan) was fouled on a follow shot with two seconds left and with the Indians trailing by three.
May hit her first free throw. She tried to miss the second, but it banked in, and Carson-Newman was able to hold on to a one-point edge.
Burstrom scored 24 for the Eagles (14-10, 8-9).
Quaneasia Coleman scored 23 points to lead Catawba. May scored 12, and Chloe Bully had 10.
It was the first home loss in the league for the Indians.
Catawba ends the regular season on Saturday at Lincoln Memorial.

Prep baseball

West Rowan scored seven runs in the sixth inning and defeated Concord 8-5 in a season opener.
Nick Collins, who pitched the last two innings, got the win. Omar Bautista started for coach Chad Parker’s club and went five innings.
Jeremy Simpson had a big two-run single, while Hunter Teeter and Taylor Garczynski had two hits each.
• East Rowan won 5-0 against Mount Tabor at Staton Field on Wednesday.
• Postponements included Statesville-Salisbury, Mount Pleasant-South Rowan, Albemarle-North Rowan and Carson-NW Cabarrus.
• West Rowan plans to play Mount Pleasant today at home in an afternoon game.
• Carson will open today at home against Cox Mill and will play Friday at home against Robinson and at Northwest Cabarrus on Saturday afternoon.
• North Rowan will open against North Moore at 4 p.m. on Friday at home.
• South Rowan is scheduled to play its opener at A.L. Brown at 4:30 p.m. today.
• Salisbury is scheduled to open at South Stanly today and to play at A.L. Brown Friday.

Prep girls soccer

West Rowan won 4-1 against Davie in its opening game on Wednesday.

Prep boys tennis

Salisbury opened its season with a 6-1 loss to Mooresville on Wednesday.
The only Hornet winner was Spencer Storey at No. 5 singles. He won 6-3, 4-6 (10-8).

Lanning to Browns

Former South Carolina punter and kicker Spencer Lanning has signed a two-year, free- agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.
Spencer, the son of former Rowan resident and North Rowan student Tad Lanning, lettered four years for the Gamecocks and was the only SEC kicker who handled punting as well as placekicking duties.
Lanning (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) was a team captain and ended his college career with the highest punting average (42.6 yards) and highest career field-goal percentage (34-for-44) in South Carolina history.
Lanning, 24, has spent time with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
Cleveland punter Reggie Hodges is scheduled to become a free agent in March.

Prep basketball

A.L. Brown’s Shelwyn Klutz was named SPC Coach of the Year for boys basketball. The Wonders finished second in the regular season and in the conference tournament.
Cox Mill’s Kate Jenis was the coach of the year for girls.

Prep wrestling

The Greensboro Coliseum will be the site this weekend for one of the largest single high school sporting events in the Southeast.
The NCHSAA’s state wrestling championships are scheduled for three days, starting Thursday evening and running all day Friday and Saturday, bringing together over 600 of the state’s best prep grapplers for three days of competition. Almost 1,300 individual matches will be contested over the course of the event en route to crowning 56 different individual champions — one winner in each of the NCHSAA’s 14 weight divisions and four different classifications.

CIAA tournament

De’Rya Wylie (Salisbury) scored five points for Elizabeth City State in a CIAA tourney win over St. Augustine’s on Wednesday.

College tennis

The Roanoke tennis team beat Averett 9-0 on Wednesday.
Lewis Young (Salisbury) won No. 3 singles for the Maroons and was part of a winning No. 3 doubles team.
Young has a 2-1 record in singles and doubles.

College swimming

Will Stokes (East Rowan) helped Wingate win the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships. Wingate has won six straight titles.

College men’s lacrosse

No. 10 Pfeiffer beat No. 11 Catawba on Wednesday in men’s lacrosse.
Elliot Gilbert scored six goals for the Falcons.
Steven Ridolfo scored three for the Indians.

College softball

Catawba’s softball team stayed hot with a doubleheader sweep at Limestone on Wednesday.
Catawba (13-5) won 6-3 and 3-1 in nine innings.
Gina Gerone and Amanda Terry homered in the opener.
Winning pitcher Carley Tysinger struck out 11 and helped herself with a homer.
Sydney Hyder’s two-run triple decided the nightcap.
Tysinger won the second game in relief after Emily B. Huneycutt held the Saints to an unearned run over the first seven innings.

College men’s soccer

Catawba announced the hiring of Ken Hassler as men’s soccer coach.
Hassler comes to Catawba after a successful run at Montevallo. His teams were 43-18-2 the last three seasonss and won two Peach Belt Conference titles.

College women’s golf

The Catawba women’s golf team shot 322 and finished second by one stroke Tuesday afternoon at the Cougar Collegiate after the tournament was cut short due to weather.
Catawba’s Madison Kennedy (Salisbury) tied for the overall lead with Lander’s T. Caballer Hernani with an even-par 72.

College track

Lees-McRae pole vaulter Evan Webb (East Rowan) has officially qualified for the 2013 Division II Indoor National Championships, becoming the third indoor national qualifier in program history.
Webb has enjoyed a tremendous junior season , topping out at a school-record height of 5.05 meters this past weekend at the George Mason University Last Chance Meet.
Webb goes into the national championship meet ranked ninth out of 17 vaulters selected to compete for the title. Webb is one of 10 athletes in the nation to clear 5 meters this season.
Webb is the eighth national track and field qualifier in program history (indoor or outdoor) and only the second in the pole vault.

7th-grade boys hoops

Martavio Rankin’s 16 points and Oshawn Robinson’s 12 points paced Knox (10-1) to a 53-31 win over West Rowan Middle (6-5).
Caleb Mauldin had 15 points to lead the Bulldogs, and Malcolm Ingram had eight.

Local golf: Seaford ace

Gene Seaford made a hole-in-one at McCanless on Wednesday.
He aced the 120-yard No. 12 hole with a 7-iron.
It was the third career ace for Seaford, 81, and the first in many years. He was playing with the group known as the “Quarter Gang,” and his partners for the day were Don Goodnight and Winston Smith.
• Dogfight results from Corbin Hills.
Winning Flight 1 was the team of Keith Dorsett, Kevin Lentz, Alan Barefoot and Bryan Moore at 134.
Winning Flight 2 was the team of Brian Jones, Dale Plummer, Rick Ridenhour and John Struzick at 148.
Winning Flight 3 was the team of Cole Thomas, Ronnie Thompson, Doug Thomas and Derek Overcash at 163.
Skins winners were Dorsett (2), Plummer, Andy Lombard, Terry Julian, Barefoot and Larry Boyer.
The next event is scheduled for next Saturday March 2, at 11 a.m.

Little League sign-ups

There’s still a chance to sign up for Spencer Little League.
Registrations will be taken at 8th Street Ballpark from 9 until 3 on Saturday, March 2.
Registration is $60.

•Final registation for Rowan Little League baseball and softball is at Godley’s Garden Center on Friday and Salisbury Community Park from 8 until 3 on Saturday, March 2. Or register online at www.rowanlittleleague.com.

Centralina Crossover

Centralina Crossover West continues tryouts for grades 7-12 this Sunday at the Christian Outreach of the Piedmont gymnasium, located on 1424 Rickert Street in Statesville
Boys will go from 2:30-4:15 p.m., followed by the girl from 4:30-6 p.m. For more information, call Teon Mauney or Glenn Usry at (704) 881 0472.

Home school basketball

Kaitlyn Holm, Anna Messisco and Grace Potter of the Cabarrus Homeschool Stallions were named to the All Metro-Mountain team and will play in the state all-star game for homesc hoolers on May 24. Holm was named league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
• Randy Hansen and Grant Stoller of the Stallions will play in the state all-star game. Hansen was named league MVP.

East oyster roast

East Rowan’s annual fish fry and oyster roast is March 16 at East Rowan.
Tickets are on sale in the East athletic office. Go by the school or call John McNeil at 704-279-5232, ext. 109.