East’s Madie Honeycutt. Photo By Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post

Staff report

MOUNT PLEASANT — East Rowan’s girls opened the basketball season with a 45-40 road victory at Mount Pleasant on  Tuesday.

“For a first varsity game for most of these girls, it was  good effort,” East coach Kevin Holland said.

The rebuilding Mustangs got off to a slow start but Madie Honeycutt and Mac Misenheimer were able to turn a couple of steals into fastbreak points.

Clara Beaver scored seven of her 12 points in the second quarter as the Mustangs took a 21-16 lead at halftime.

East missed 13 free throws but was able to handle the Tigers’ pressure down the stretch.

Honeycutt made two big free throws to ice the victory.

Misenheimer scored 10 points, while Honeycutt had seven.

Addison Kluttz scored 14 for the Tigers.

EAST ROWAN (45) — Beaver 12, Misenheimer 10, Honeycutt 7, McCray 6, Kluttz 4, Waddell 4, Peeler 2, Featherstone, Boardley.

MOUNT PLEASANT (40) — Kluttz 14, Blackwell 7, Ballard 7, B. Harwood 4, N. Harwood 4, Fowler 4, Blake, Herring.

E. Rowan          4    17    7   17   — 45

Mt. Pleasant     6    10    9  15  — 40