From staff reports

CHINA GROVE — Missed layups and missed free throws.

Most girls basketball games are decided by the misses, more than by the makes.

Both coaches were doing some sighing after East Rowan’s 44-37 South Piedmont Conference win at Carson on Friday.

Both coaches, who were great, free throw-making guards back in their playing days, knew their team missed too many easy ones and too many free ones.

East coach Bri Evans knew it should’ve been a lot easier. Carson coach Brooke Stouder knew her team missed a Senior Night opportunity to pull off its biggest win of the season.

“Our effort was great from start to end despite a whole lot of miscues,” Stouder said. “We just struggle to put the ball in the basket. If we make a few more free throws, if we convert a couple of easy putbacks, who knows?”

There was only one senior to celebrate on Carson’s Senior Night, although she was well worth celebrating.

Soccer player Alona Locklear came out to help the team as a senior, although she hadn’t played any high school basketball previously.

“We’re glad she did because she helped us and she improved a ton,” Stouder said.

Locklear scored 10 in last week’s win against Concord and has contributed 61 points this season.

She rolled an ankle on Tuesday against Northwest Cabarrus, but she wasn’t going to miss Senior Night. She suited up. Even with a hobbled Locklear, Carson only had seven who were able to play.

East got 3-pointers from Lily Kluttz and Hannah Waddell in the first quarter and took an 11-6 lead.

East got scoring from five girls in the second quarter and expanded its lead to 23-11 at halftime.

But Carson wouldn’t go away. The Cougars outscored East in the third and the fourth quarters and they were still fighting at the end.

Lindsey Cook got five of her 13 points at the foul line in the fourth quarter to help East stay ahead. East got eight each from Peyton Whicker, Kady Collins and Kluttz.

East went 13-for-24 at the foul line.

“We missed a ton of layups and we missed a ton of free throws,” Evans said. “But Peyton (Whicker) has been playing great lately, offensively and defensively, and she made a lot of good things happen for us.”

Whicker, a volleyball player and track and field hurdler, has speed and can out-athlete quite a few people. She’s starting to score more and has 33 in her last three games.

Allie Martin had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Carson. She was solid from the foul line, shooting 9-for-12.

Emma Carpenter pulled down 12 rebounds for the Cougars.

East Rowan      11    12    8   13   — 44

Carson                6      5   11   15  — 37

East — Cook 13, Whicker 8, L. Kluttz 8, Collins 8, Waddell 5, M. Kluttz 2.

Carson — Martin 17, Furr 6, McBride 6, Carpenter 3, Burleson 3, Steele 2.

 

See photo gallery from the game here https://www.salisburypost.com/2023/02/04/photo-gallery-east-rowan-girls-stop-carson-44-37/

•••

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan seniors Jamecia Huntley, Sarah Durham and DeDe Cuthbertson got in the scorebook quickly on Senior Night.

Most of their younger teammates were in the book before the first quarter was over.

West’s undefeated girls turned in another dominating performance on Friday, mauling Central Cabarrus 89-46.

The Vikings, who came into the game tied for second in the South Piedmont Conference, were good enough to keep the running clock from kicking in until late in the game. That’s why the Falcons scored a season-high 89, just a few days after they scored 81 at Lake Norman Charter, another SPC team that was at least good enough not to be running-clocked by halftime.

The Falcons (21-0, 12-0) continue to build on the best start in school history and they have clinched the SPC regular-season title.

They led 25-10 after a quarter and by 50-24 at halftime. It was 65-34 after three quarters.

West put five girls in double figures.

Lauren Arnold got nine in the first quarter and scored 23. That’s not a career high, but it’s a season high for her. It’s hard for anyone to score 23 on a team that blows out everyone and has the scoring split among six or seven people.

Tiara Thompson, a freshman, did get a career high of 21. She had a devastating second quarter with three 3-pointers.

Huntley scored 14, while Emma Clarke and De’Mya Phifer had 10 points each.

Jalayah Ray scored 14 for the Vikings. Kyra Lewis had 12.

West is at Concord and East Rowan next week.

Central Cabarrus     10    14    10   12   — 46

West Rowan             25    25   15   24   — 89

West — Arnold 23, Thompson 21, Huntley 14, Phifer 10, Clarke 10, Tenor 3, Cuthbertson 3, Durham 3, Edwards 2.

•••

HUNTERSVILLE — Lake Norman Charter held South Rowan to six points in the first half and breezed to a 65-32 South Piedmont Conference win on Friday.

Lake Norman Charter didn’t light it up on Senior Night, shooting 36 percent, but the Knights pulled down a whopping 58 rebounds. Rachel Turner had 12.

“Our defense was solid,” South Rowan coach Alex Allen said. “Just didn’t get anything to fall.”

Lake Norman Charter led 22-6 at halftime, South warmed up some in the second half, but not enough to make things interesting.

Senior Kailyn Kilpatrick scored 21 for the Knights (13-7, 7-5), the fourth-place team in the SPC. Senior Julia Zelando scored 13.

Madilyn Cherry scored nine of her 14 in the fourth quarter for the Raiders (7-14, 4-8), who are in sixth place.

Kynlee Dextraze added nine points.

South Rowan     3     3    15    11    — 32

LN Charter        5     17   24   19  — 65

South — Cherry 14, Dexraze 9, Menius 3, Atwell 3, Beaver 2, Alston 1.