Prep basketball …

East Rowan’s girls hoped not to play Saturday after winning a grueling game Friday against North Henderson, but play they did.

East Rowan won 71-63 in a second-round 3A game at  Canton Pisgah (24-2).

Kelli Fisher and Shenique Pharr scored 17 apiece, Kaleigh Troutman scored 15, and Shenell Pharr had 14 for the Mustangs (22-3).

“We had great balance,” East Rowan coach Danielle Porter said. “I don’t know that it was the game of the century — more like the battle of the century. We had to overcome a lot of adversity.”

Among other things, East overcame 28 points by Pisgah’s Brooklyn Allen.

“They had a good team,” Porter said. “They were fundamental, and they scrapped.”

Fisher, the Mustangs’ 6-foot-3 center, got in foul trouble early, and East Rowan played almost half the game without her. But Troutman played big with Fisher sitting.

A key for the Mustangs was making 29 of 37 free throws.

“We redeemed ourselves at the foul line after missing a bunch on Friday,” Porter said.

Shenell Pharr was 8-for-8 on free throws.

The Mustangs will play at Asheville Erwin in the third round. That game is expected to be played on Tuesday.

East 71, Pisgah 63

EAST ROWAN (71)

Fisher 17, Shenique Pharr 17, Troutman 15, Shenell Pharr 14, Lowe 5, Ajayi 3.

PISGAH (63)

Allen 28, Singleton 12, Webb 7, Penland 7,  Holland 5,  Lewis 3, Williamson 1.

East Rowan   19   16     7  29 — 71

Pisgah   20   14  13  16 — 63

Carson

Carson’s girls lost 72-52 at Northern Guilford in a 3A first-round game on Saturday.

“We clawed, scrapped, fought,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “With five minutes left, we were only down nine, but we kind of ran out of gas. It was closer than the final score indicates.”

Carson (12-13) got 20 points from freshman guard Olivia Gabriel. Senior Sydney Huffman scored 12 in her final game.

Senior Alex Allen was held to four points.

“She had a tough day finishing, but she was still a big presence,” Misenheimer said. “She took three or four charges.”

Crishona Roberson, another Carson senior, scored three points.

Kassie Robakiewicz scored 22 for the Nighthawks (20-5).

N. Guilford 72, Carson 52

CARSON (52)

Gabriel 20, Huffman 12, Shumaker 6, McClary 5, Allen 4, Roberson 3, Wiggins 2,  Ketchie, Turney, Furr.

N. GUILFORD (72)

Robakiewicz 22, Johnson 18, Lomax 11, Wilson 10, Furlough 8, Seaton 3.

Carson              9     14     16  13 — 52

N. Guilford   21   10     20  21 — 72

North Rowan

North Rowan’s girls ended their second straight season with a loss to Wilkes Central.

After losing to Wilkes Central 52-38 in a first-round 2A matchup a year ago, the Cavaliers (14-7) fell 60-56 in the second round this time in a game played in Moravian Falls.

North Rowan started fast and led by nine after a quarter, but it was 24-all at halftime.

Wilkes Central’s Eagles (22-4)   took control early in the fourth quarter.

“We just had too many turnovers,” North Rowan coach said. “And the foul line hurt us. We were 5-for-15 on free throws and they were 16-for-28.”

Laken Blackburn led the Eagles with 22 points.

Senior Demeria Robinson scored 19 in her final game for the Cavaliers.

Special Washington scored 14. Other scorers for the Cavaliers were Aliyah Farmer (9), Brianna White (9), Payton Russell (3) and Tre Allen (2).

North Rowan   17    7     13  19 — 56

Wilkes Central  8   16     16  20 — 63

Other prep games

A.L. Brown lost 64-43 at Rocky River in 4A girls first-round action on Saturday.

Aitana Grant scored 17 for the Wonders (14-9), and Esther Kituku added eight.

• Davie’s girls ended the season with a 64-53 4A second-round loss at McDowell.

De’ Jah Joyner scored 15 for the War Eagles (18-7). Ashlyn Hampton scored 11, while Madison Zaferatos had 10.

• In a 3A first-round boys game on Saturday, Jaylen Stowe’s 29 points and Avery Metcalf’s 19 powered Hickory Ridge to a 80-63 win against McMichael.

• West Davidson upset Randleman in a 2A first-round boys game on Saturday.

Scott Hughes scored 16 for the Green Dragons, while Carson Beane had 13.

North Rowan will host West Davidson at 7 p.m. on Monday in a second-round matchup of CCC teams.

• Lexington’s boys beat Ashe County 72-39 in a first-round 2A game on Saturday.

Nolan Benson led the Yellow  Jackets with 23 points.

CIAA women

  Jessica Lyons scored 16 points and title-game MVP DeAnna Waters added 15  as Virginia State defeated Lincoln 73-49 to win its sixth CIAA Tournament title and first since 2002.

Catawba baseball

Catawba’s baseball team split at Newberry Saturday and won the SAC series two games to one.

In a 6-4, Game 1 victory,  Craig Brooks (3-1) pitched eight strong innings and fanned eight.

Ryan McClintock earned a save. Will Albertson paced the offense with three hits and two RBIs.

• Catawba lost 1-0 in the nightcap despite strong pitching by Shaefer Shepard (3-1).  Newberry scored an unearned run in the second inning. Shepard struck out nine in six innings.