Staff report

BOILING SPRINGS — Will Givens was spectacular on Tuesday, but West Rowan’s season is over.

Givens, a junior guard, matched his career high of 32 points and made eight 3-pointers, but Crest beat the Falcons 74-68 in the first round of the 3A West state playoffs.

Adrian Stockton and Kavyone Norman scored eight each for 20th-seeded West.

West put together some sizzling runs against the 13th-seeded Chargers (19-7), but Dadrian Cuthbertson’s first season as head coach ended at 15-10.

Elijah Holmes opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and after triples by four different players, the Falcons led 16-7. Norman drove for an 18-7 lead. That 11-point lead was the largest of the night for the Falcons.

Crest answered with eight straight points to end the first quarter, and extended the run to 15-0 in the early stages of the second.

Three straight buckets by Givens, including a 3-ball, put West back in front 26-22.

Crest took a 37-35 lead to halftime.

The Chargers got control, at least for a while, by scoring the first eight points of the second half for a 45-35 lead.

West was still down 10 in the fourth quarter at 61-51 when the Falcons got hot from 3-point range. Holmes made a 3-pointer to ignite the comeback.

Givens hit two 3-pointers as the Falcons charged and got as close as 63-62.

After West went down 66-62, Norman’s driving bucket made it a two-point game.

Given’s final 3-pointer cut Crest’s lead to 68-67 late, but the hard-nosed Chargers made free throws and refused to fold down the stretch.

West        18     17    14    19  — 68

Crest        15    22    21    17   — 74

West — Givens 32, Norman 8, Stockton 8, Holmes 6, Hairston 5, Graham 3, Little 3, Martin 3.