From staff reports

West Rowan’s boys basketball team held off Northwest Cabarrus for a 65-60 South Piedmont Conference win on Wednesday.

The seventh-ranked Falcons (10-3, 6-1 SPC)  had a 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter and appeared to be in control at halftime, leading by 18 points, but then West went ice-cold and scored only five points in the third quarter, as Northwest cut the deficit to 43-36.

The Falcons had to fight to hold on in the fourth quarter. NW Cabarrus (5-8, 2-7 SPC) missed opportunities at the foul line that would’ve made it even tighter.

West got 22 points from Caleb Mauldin. Darius Kure had 10, Tyrese Lawrence and Kortez Weeks contributed eight each, and Paris Hillie added seven.

West played again without Austin Love (concussion).

West has won five games in a row for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Falcons have won nine out of 10, a run in which their only loss was at second-ranked Cox Mill.

Northwest was led by Fredo Gustave (16 points), Chalen Stafford Gill (14) and Elijah Isom (12).

W. Rowan 65, NWC 60

WEST ROWAN (10-3)

Mauldin 22, Kure 10, Weeks 8, Lawrence 8, Hillie 7, Hogue 5, Rankin 3, Delgado 2.

NW CABARRUS (5-8)

Gustave 16, Stafford Gill 14, Isom 12, Hester 8, Burns 8, Hobson 2.

W. Rowan 14  24   5    22  — 65

NWC          12    8  16  24  — 60

West girls cruise

Egypt Alexander scored 22 points as West Rowan’s girls took an easy win at Northwest Cabarrus on Wednesday, 67-37.

Alexander is averaging 16.5 points per game.

Abigail Wilson and Myanna Hillie scored 12 each for the Falcons (9-4, 4-3 SPC), who led 33-20 at halftime and blew the game open in the third quarter.

It was a career high for Hillie.

Taylor Poole added eight points, and Mary Sobataka scored six.

Braedon Allen scored 13 for the Trojans (2-11, 1-8 SPC).

W. Rowan 67, NWC 37

WEST ROWAN (9-4)

Alexander 22, Hillie 12, Wilson 12, Poole 8, Sobataka 6, Connolly 4, Pruitt 3, Vaughters, Fesperman, Blabon.

NW CABARRUS (2-11)

Gustave 16, Stafford Gill 14, Isom 12, Hester 8, Burns 8, Hobson 2.

W. Rowan 19  14   20  14  — 67

NWC          13    7     6    11  — 37

Prep football

Salisbury AD Dale Snyder announced on Wednesday that Ryan Crowder has resigned as head football  coach.

Crowder was the head coach for four seasons and has been on the Salisbury staff since 2000.

A story is upcoming.

Resumes are being accepted for the position and can be submitted to dale.snyder@rss.k12.nc.us.

Prep baseball

Carson junior Owen White was named to Perfect Game USA/Rawlings “Finest in the Field” team, a Gold Glove team for high school players.

Women’s hoops

Amani Ajayi (East Rowan) had seven points and seven rebounds for Averett in a 65-54 win against Meredith on Wednesday.

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Aliyah Farmer (North Rowan) had 14 points and  nine rebounds for Mars Hill in Wednesday’s 68-58 loss to Tusculum.

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Catawba guard Bri Johnson is the South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Johnson averaged 22 points while shooting 66 percent from the floor in a pair of victories.

Men’s hoops

In Newberry’s 113-68 romp against Coker on Wednesday, D.J. Copeland (A.L. Brown) scored eight points for the Wolves.

Mason Speas (Central Cabarrus) scored 11.

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Pfeiffer’s men rolled 111-78 at North Greenville on Tuesday. Mike Smith scored 20 and A.J. Clark had 19 for the Falcons.

Prep hoops

Concord held Robinson’s high-scoring McDonald’s All-America nominee Lavar Batts Jr. to nine points on Wednesday, but five Bulldogs scored in double figures in a 96-64 SPC romp. Isaac Boothe led the Bulldogs (9-5, 6-3 SPC) with 17, and Vi’chon Means scored 16.

Hamsah Nasirildeen led the Spiders (5-9, 3-6 SPC) with 17 points.

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No prep basketball games are scheduled for tonight involving Rowan teams.

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In the NCPreps.com poll, Salisbury’s girls are ranked fourth in 2A.

Hickory Ridge’s girls are ranked No. 1 in 3A.

Cox Mill (second), Robinson (fifth), Hickory Ridge (sixth) and West Rowan (seventh) give the SPC four  boys teams ranked in the top 10 in 3A.

College baseball

The site for Catawba’s First Pitch Baseball Dinner for Saturday has been moved to the Peeler Crystal Lounge since it has become available for us to use.

8th-grade tourney

The third-seeded Knox girls won against No. 6 North Rowan, 33-24, on Thursday in a first-round game.

Jahavanik Horton scored 12 points to lead Knox. Lillie Rusher had 10,  and Laura Reyes  scored five.

Knox will play second-seeded Southeast  in a semifinal.

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The top-seeded and undefeated Erwin girls rolled against eighth-seeded Corriher-Lipe, 45-7, in the first round of the tournament.

Jenna Robinson led the Eagles (15-0) with 18 points. Carleigh Perry scored 12, and Colbie Perry had seven.

Prep golf

Carson’s Patrick Street has committed to Pfeiffer’s golf program.

He’ll join another local commitment to the Falcons, South Rowan’s Parker Chavis.

College tennis

Catawba  tennis coach Jeff Childress has announced a pair of women’s tennis signings.

Joining the Catawba Indians for the 2017-18 campaign will be Isabel Benoit (Zweibrucken, Germany) and Delaney Portka (Lockport, N.Y.).

Sacred Heart  hoops

The Sacred Heart jayvee girls defeated Immaculate Heart of Mary of High Point, 14-6.   Gianna Patella had eight points and Faye Carol Shellhorn added six.

Sacred Heart’s jayvee goys lost to IHM, 39-17.  Curtis Walker had eight points and four rebounds,  Kaiden Dulkoski added four  points and five rebounds.

Sacred Heart’s varsity girls won against West Rowan Middle, 36-31.  Rachel McCullough had 26 points and Sutton Webb had eight.

Sacred Heart’s varsity boys won against West Rowan, 20-19.  Will Webb and Jalon Walker each had five points,  Connor Hennie added four.

Sacred Heart  will host Concordia on Thursday and Salisbury Academy on Friday.