From staff reports

Catawba’s men’s basketball team finished off a season sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne with a 79-75 victory in Hickory on Wednesday afternoon.

Freshmen Jameel Taylor (21 points) and Jerrin Morrison (19) keyed the victory.

Catawba trailed 66-58 with 7:40 remaining when a 3-pointer by Morrison ignited a 13-0 run by the Indians. Taylor’s 3-pointer tied the game at 66-all, and another 3-pointer by Morrison put the Indians ahead.

With the score tied 75-all,  Taylor made a go-ahead layup with 39 seconds left. Then he made two free throws with seven seconds left to seal the win.

K.J. Arrington added 14 points for the Indians (13-12, 10-9 SAC). Vismantas Marijosius had eight points and seven rebounds.

Billy Bales led five Bears (8-15, 6-13) in double figures with 17 points.

Catawba 79, L-R 75

CATAWBA (79)

Taylor 21, Morrison 19, Arrington 14, Sealey 8, Marijosius 8, Perkins 5, Sampah 2, Warren 2, Ingram.

LENOIR-RHYNE (75)

Bales 17, Morgan 14, Noyes 12, Wilson 11, Perry 10, Lucas 7, Crouch 2, Beverly 2.

Catawba 42   37 —  79

L-Rhyne 38    37 — 75

Catawba women

Terri Rogers had 17 points and eight rebounds and led Catawba’s women to a 67-53 win at Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday.

Catawba (15-9, 12-7 SAC) completed a sweep of the season series with L-R and is in fourth place in the 12-team league.

Bri Johnson scored 13 points for the Indians. Zhaquondalee Greer jumped off the bench to score 10.

Catawba struggled on 3-pointers (2-for-17) and at the free-throw line (11-for-19), but it had big edges on the boards and in forcing turnovers.

Former Central Davidson star Jazmine Charles led the Bears (8-15, 7-12) with 21 points.

Catawba is ranked 10th in the Southeastern Regional.

  Catawba 67, L-R 53

CATAWBA (67)

Rogers 17, Johnson 13, Greer 10, Bully 9, S. Brown 6, Huntley 6, Ucinski 6, Newbold.

LENOIR-RHYNE (53)

Charles 21, Cooper 16, Gust 10, Robinson 4, Hiatt 2, Logan, Ritchie, Dean, Mintz, Joyner, Young.

Catawba 37    30 —  67

L-Rhyne 24    29 — 53

Livingstone women

Livingstone and St. Augustine’s combined for 92 free-throw attempts and 47 turnovers in Wednesday afternoon’s CIAA women’s game at New Trent Gym.

While it wasn’t pretty, the bottom line was a 78-66 victory for Livingstone, which shot 34.8 percent.

Cierra York scored 21 points, and Amber Curtis had 16 for the Blue Bears.

Aliyah Grinage went 10-for-10 at the foul line and scored 12 points. She also had eight rebounds.

Labrea Walker had five assists and seven steals.

LC 78, St. Augustine’s 66

ST. AUGUSTINE’S (66)

Wilson 14, Harris 13, Dunaway 12,  McCombs 10, Moore 9,  Jacobs 6, Arrington 2, Payne, Barnett, Rouse.

LIVINGSTONE (78)

York 21, Curtis 16, Grinage 12, Roberts 9, Walker 6, Foster 4, Fowler 4, Hicks 2, Blunt 2, Daniels 2, Malone, Searcy, Lepzem.

St. Augustine’s 40    26 —  66

Livingstone       43   35  —  78

Livingstone men

Livingstone’s men shot 57 percent from the field and rolled 87-71 against St. Augustine’s on Wednesday afternoon at New Trent Gym.

Eric Mayo (18 points), Hakeem Jackson (14) and Ty Newman (12) led the scoring for the Blue Bears (15-9, 9-6 CIAA).

St. Augustine’s led the first 10 minutes, but Livingstone took the lead for good on a layup by Mayo and expanded its lead on back-to-back buckets by Cristian Henry.

The Falcons (11-14, 5-10) scored only five points the last 10 minutes of the half, and the  Blue Bears led by 16 at halftime.

Livingstone’s Mayo, Jackson and Henry combined to shoot 15-for-20.

Darressee Johnson had eight rebounds.

For St. Augustine’s Raheem Joliffe scored 22, while  Quincy January had four dunks.

LC 87, St. Augustine’s 71

ST. AUGUSTINE’S (71)

Joliffe 22, Gaskins 12, January 12, Gibson 9, Koger 4, Moyer 4, Henderson 3, Crawford 3, Tennell 2

LIVINGSTONE (87)

Mayo 18, Jackson 14, Newman 12, Henry 9, Dubose 9, Traynham 8, D. Johnson 6, Flint 4, Williams 3, Cole 2, V. Jones 2, Harris, Wilson, M. Johnson.

St. Augustine’s 22    49 —  71

Livingstone       38   49  —  87

MLB

Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) is nearing the end of his rehab process after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April.

While it’s possible Parnell may be back in the New York Mets bullpen as early as the end of April, he is expected to start the season  on the disabled list.

  Jenrry Mejia had some success in the closer role for the Mets last season with Parnell sidelined.

Parnell is under contract for $3.7 million for this season.  Parnell posted a 2.79 ERA with 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings from 2010-2013.

Parnell has an 18-24 record in the majors and 36 saves. He had 22 saves in 2013.

Prep wrestling

The state wrestling individual tournament is now scheduled to start on Friday, with finals starting Saturday afternoon around 4 p.m.

  • Salisbury qualifiers for the 2A tournament are regional champion Jeffrey Burton (182 pounds),  Tyrell Blakeney (106), Jibri Cowan (132), Willie Clark (160) and Marquese Peele (285).

• Carson qualifiers for the 3A Midwest Regional   are regional champion Brandon Sloop (170), Carson’s Jaron McMasters (160), Anthony McCurry (220) and  Alex Lyles (285).

• South Rowan’s lone qualifier for the 3A tournament is regional champion  Logan Durham (113). Durham won a state title at 106 last year.

• West Rowan’s qualifier is Zac Ridenhour, regional champ at 138.

• East Rowan qualified  Landon Carico (113), Logan Haas (120) and Shiheem Saunders (182) for the 3A state tournament.

• A.L. Brown qualified six for the 4A state tournament, including regional champs Isaiah Johnston (145) and Keechan Ware (220). Also qualifying were   Avery Clinding (120), Nick Sexton (132), Marcus Bolick (152) and Jerry Donatien (170).

•  Davie qualified four for the 4A state competition: Lake Billings (120),  Daniel Wilson (138), Bailey Ingram (145) and Parker Correll (220).

Women’s hoops

Bubbles Phifer (Salisbury) scored 21 points to lead J.C. Smith to a 76-62 win against Winston-Salem State on Wednesday.

Men’s hoops

Keshun Sherrill (West Rowan) scored 19 points as  GRU Augusta beat Francis  Marion 101-75 on Wednesday.

GRU Augusta has won nine in a row. It was the 250th win at Augusta for coach Dip Metress, the college roommate of West Rowan boys coach Mike Gurley.

South jayvee girls

South Rowan’s jayvee girls basketball team finished second to undefeated Hickory Ridge  in the SPC.

Riley Corriher and Tazah Hardin led the Raiders (16-4, 14-2 SPC) in scoring for the season, but nine different girls were the leading scorer for at least one game.

Corriher and Keirsten Morgan averaged the most minutes, while Carsen Carlton was a close third.

Keyerah Wagner, Olivia O’Kelley and Jolee Smith  did a great job on the boards. Alyson Brewer and Camden Carlton provided defensive energy. Brooke Lowery and Jalee Rollins were good shooters and ballhandlers. Ziporah Knight and Raven Kendall, helped with their energy in practice and willingness to learn.

“I am very proud of this team,” South Rowan coach Hunter Fuller said. “With our varsity graduating 11 players, these girls are going to have to grow up fast next year.”

NCHSAA

Malia Ellington of the Community School of Davidson and Philip Hall of Hope Mills South View  were winners of the NCHSAA Performance of the Week awards.

Ellington, a senior, was named the MCP in the girls 1-A-2A indoor track state championships for the second consecutive year. She won the 1000, 1600 and 3200 and ran the anchor leg on the winning 3200 relay team.

Hall led South View to the boys 4A indoor track and field title and earned the MVP award for the championship.  He won the 1000, 1600 and 3200 and also ran anchor on a record-setting 3200 relay for the Tigers.

ACC hoops

CORAL GABLES, Fla.  — Miami coach Jim  Larranaga’s first technical foul in years worked wonders. He shed his jacket for the first time in years and fired up his team.

Sheldon McClellan scored 21 points, Tonye Jekiri finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds and Miami shook off a slow start to easily beat Virginia Tech 76-52 to help improve its NCAA tournament resume.

Angel Rodriguez added 11 points for the Hurricanes (17-9, 7-6 ACC), who went on a 17-4 run to open the second half.

Adam Smith scored 15 for Virginia Tech (10-16, 2-11).

FSU 69, BC 60

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  — Devon Bookert scored 18 points, making 6 of 7 shots from the floor.

Olivier Hanlan scored 32 points on 12 of 22 shooting for the Eagles, who lost their seventh-straight game.

Phil Cofer and Xavier Rathan-Mayes added 13 points each for Florida State (15-12, 7-7 ACC).