Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — From 31-1 to 2-21 is the longest, hardest fall any Rowan basketball program ever has had to endure, but West Rowan’s girls basketball team still had the pride to win the last one.

The Falcons beat North Rowan 54-43 in a non-conference game on Wednesday to end an eight-game losing streak. Jayden Carter, a senior playing her last high school game, scored 14 to lead the Falcons. Justice Willis and Kennedy Clawson, who made a 3-pointer, are the other two West seniors.

Freshman Sydney Smith scored 11 for West.

West’s 20-7 advantage in the second quarter proved decisive.

West was freshman-heavy this season. The top two scorers were freshmen. The Falcons’ other win this season was against Mount Pleasant.

North Rowan didn’t win a state championship last season, but the Cavaliers’ fall from 25-4 and Central Carolina Conference titles to 4-17 has been almost as steep as West’s and is a reminder of just how special the graduating senior classes of 2024 were at North as well as at West.

Unlike the Falcons, who finished ninth and didn’t qualify for the eight-team South Piedmont Conference Tournament, North still has lots of ball to play. The Cavaliers finish the regular season at Salisbury on Friday. They’ll be in the Central Carolina Conference Tournament as the 5 seed. They’ll also qualify for the 1A state playoffs, as the best 1A in a split 1A/2A league. The Cavaliers won’t meet the criteria to be seeded as a conference champ, but they’ll be in the bracket. It’s quite possible they’ll be the No. 32 seed in the 32-team bracket.

North’s top three players most of the season have been seniors Dasia Elder, Krisstyle Stockton and Allanah McArthur.

Elder made two 3-pointers, scored 15 and had four steals to lead the Cavaliers in Mount Ulla. Stockton scored 10 and had five steals. McArthur had six points and seven rebounds. Kanya Cowan scored seven.

North Rowan   10    7   17   9     — 43

West Rowan     8     20  19   7    — 54

North Rowan — Elder 15, Stockton 10, Cowan 7, McArthur 6, Oglesby-Peck 3, Robinson 2.

West Rowan — Carter 14, Smith 11, Hurd 8, Allen 7, Hoffner 4, Clawson 3, Sherrill 2, Sawyer 2, Everhart 2.