Prep boys basketball: Falcons fall to Cox Mill in SPC semifinal

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 16, 2017

Staff report

A strong first half by West Rowan’s boys basketball team melted away when Cox Mill turned up the heat in the third quarter.

The top-seeded Chargers, playing on their home floor, outscored the Falcons, 27-4, in the third period and  beat the Falcons, 73-55, in a South Piedmont Conference semifinal on Wednesday.

Sophomore Wendell Moore Jr. had 23 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for Cox Mill (20-6).

Fourth-seeded West constructed a 25-18 lead after a quarter behind a packed-in defense and 11 early points by 6-foot-8 junior Caleb Mauldin.

West was still on top, 35-32, at halftime.

But Cox Mill took charge with a  turnover-forcing run that lasted almost all of the third quarter.

After a spree of layups, Cox Mill was up by 20 points after the third and easily withstood West’s increased defensive pressure  in the fourth quarter.

West couldn’t get closer than 13 points down the stretch.

Moore’s defense contained Mauldin after his quick start and he finished with 14 points. That  put him over 500 for the season.

Mauldin is only the fifth Falcon to post multiple 500-point seasons, joining Scooter Sherrill, who had three, and Donte Minter, K.J. Sherrill and Keshun Sherrill, who had two apiece.

Paris Hillie had 10 points for the Falcons, while Darius Kure and Martavio Rankin had seven apiece.

West lost for the third time to Cox Mill.

The Falcons will return to action in the 3A state playoffs next Tuesday. Brackets are epxected to be announced on Saturday.

Cox Mill got 12 points from Cody Cline and 10 each from Caleb Stone-Carrawell and Jacari Johnson.

In Friday’s tournament championship game, Cox Mill will play the winner of tonight’s Hickory Ridge-Robinson matchup.

Both of Cox Mill’s league losses were to Robinson, led by 2,000-point scorer Lavar Batts Jr.

Cox Mill 73, W. Rowan 55

WEST (55)

Mauldin 14, Hillie 10, Kure 7, Rankin 7, Lawrence 6, Weeks 5, Love 4.

COX MILL (73)

Moore 23, Cline 12, Stone-Carrawell 10, Johnson 10, Hall 8, Sio 5, Noone 5.

W. Rowan    25  10    4  16 —  55

Cox Mill        18  14  27 14 —  73