Staff report

CONCORD — Central Cabarrus’ boys basketball team may be the best in 3A, and the Vikings were devastating again on Tuesday in a South Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinal.

Top-seeded and rested Central (25-0) battered fourth-seeded and weary West Rowan 90-55 on Coach Bo Court in Concord’s Rimer Gym.

The Vikings already had beaten West 95-58 and 81-38 in SPC games.

The Falcons (11-10) had won a tough road game at Lake Norman Charter in Monday’s first round and didn’t have enough left to withstand Central’s deadly combination of a steals-producing defense and precision offense.

“We played really hard,  but Central is just very good,” West head coach Mike Gurley said.

Carson Daniel scored 32 points for Central. Jaiden Thompson scored 17. Gavin Bullock added 14.

Central held West’s Will Givens, a prolific 3-point shooter and the Falcons’ leading scorer, to three points.

Sophomore Levon Jacobs had his best outing in a while and scored 15 to lead West. Athan Gill scored 11.

“We had a number of guys who played strong games,” Gurley said. “We had efforts I was proud of.”

West scored 16 points in the first quarter but still slid behind by 11. The Vikings were in command 51-30 at halftime.

When Central put up 30 in the third quarter, while holding the Falcons to 11, it got out of hand.

No. 22 in the 3A West RPI rankings, the Falcons are a lock to make the 32-team playoff bracket.

West’s schedule has been one of the strongest in 3A West, with three losses to Central Cabarrus, two to Concord (9th in 3A West) and two to Mooresville (10th in 4A West).

The Falcons will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs, but they’ll be happy to go anywhere — except Central Cabarrus.

Central moves on to Friday’s championship game against either second-seeded Concord or third-seeded Northwest Cabarrus.

 

West        16   14   11   14   — 55

Central      27  24   30  9  — 90

WEST — Jacobs 15, Gill 11, Norman 7, Kennedy 5, Greene 4, Williams-Simpson 4, Givens 3, Loeblein 3, Holmes 2, Cowan 1.

CENTRAL — Carson Daniel 32, Thompson 17, Bullock 14, Chase Daniel 9, Miller 9, Ford 3, Murray 2, Johnson 2, Kent 2.