From staff reports

Monday games …

CHINA GROVE — Carson made 14 3-pointers to offset a 36-point performance by Central Cabarrus standout Kevonta’ Martin.

The Cougars won 74-57 over the Vikings (12-13) in a first-round game in the South Piedmont Conference Tournament. The teams had split in the regular season, with the Vikings winning on Carson’s home floor.

The fourth-seeded Cougars (17-8)  were led by CP Perry’s 23 points. He got 10 in the second quarter as the Cougars pushed to a 39-23 halftime lead.

Jonah Drye’s 18 points came on six 3-pointers as he continued a charge toward 1,000 points. Jacob Mills scored 17 with three 3s. Drew Neve scored 11, and Maverick Walters made a 3-pointer.

Central Caabarrus 12    11    14   20   — 57

Carson                     19     20   19   16   — 74

CARSON scoring — Perry 23, Drye 18, Mills 17, Neve 11, Walters 5.

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CONCORD — Northwest Cabarrus post man Ezekiel Brown bullied his way to 19 inside points and led a 66-42 win against West Rowan in the first round of the South Piedmont Conference Tournament.

The second-seeded Trojans (15-9) got 11 points from Jordan Gonder and 10 from Anderson Lee.

West beat Northwest at home during the regular season and stayed with the Trojans in the first half. Brown made buckets right at the end of the quarter and the half for a 26-22 halftime lead.

West’s Ja’mih Tucker scored to start the second half to cut Northwest’s lead to two, but the Trojans settled the game with a 16-2 run in the third quarter.

Tucker led the Falcons with 15 points, while Evan Kennedy scored 12. The Falcons closed the books on an 8-16 season.

West Rowan     13   9   9    11   — 42

NW Cabarrus   16  10  20   20   — 66

West — Tucker 15, Kennedy 12, Moten 6, Graham 5, Young 4.

NWC — E. Brown 19, Gonder 11, Lee 10, Rowe 8, Rochevot 7, Walker 5, S. Brown 4, Lucas-Walker 2.

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CONCORD — East Rowan played a close game with Robinson on the final night of the regular season, but the Bulldogs didn’t play their starters in the first half.

East got a look at the real Robinson in the first half of a first-round game in the South Piedmont Conference Tournament. The top-seeded Bulldogs led 22-4 early, dominated the first half 52-15 and cruised to a 66-31 victory.

Roger Walton scored 14 for Robinson (23-3).

Jaden Reid led the Mustangs with 10 points, all in the paint. Blake Shive battled inside and scored eight.

East finished 2-23. Both wins came against South Rowan.

East Rowan   8    7   10   6    — 31

Robinson      29   23  13   1    — 66

EAST scoring — Reid 10, Shive 8, Lyons 4, Bradley 3, Krider 2, Thomas 2, Eudy 2.

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SALISBURY — Salisbury led 30-4 early and crushed Thomasville 74-37 in a Central Carolina Conference semifinal.

The top-seeded Hornets blasted the fourth-seeded Bulldogs for the third time.

Myles Smith led Salisbury (22-3) with 21 points. Braylon Taylor (17) and Bryce Dalton (13) also hit double figures.

The Bulldogs (10-14) are unlikely to make the 1A state playoffs.

Thomasville   7    10   9    11   —  37

Salisbury       30  21   12    11    — 74

SALISBURY scoring — M. Smith 21, Taylor 17, Dalton 13, Webb 8, Davis 7, Hairston 5, House 2, Brown 1.

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SALISBURY — Playing as the “home team” in the Salisbury gym, North Rowan posted an impressive 70-45 win against Lexington in a Central Carolina Conference Tournament semifinal.

Second-seeded North (16-9) had split the season series with the third-seeded Yellow Jackets and had lost to Lexington reccently in Spencer, but the Cavaliers built a 10-point halftime and knocked out the Jackets (13-11) in the third quarter.

Emari Russell scored 24 points and had nine during the decisive third quarter. He had seven assists and five steals.

Dyzarious Carpenter scored 17.

Carter Williams scored 11 and blocked five shots. JP Polk scored 10 and had another big rebounding game.

“Played much better, the effort was there tonight and we played together,” North head coach Jason Causby said.

Andre Gyaabah led Lexington with 17 points.

Lexington           13   6   10   16   — 45

North Rowan     15   14  23   18   — 70

Lexington — Gyabaah 17, Ewart 10, Henderson 7, McDonald 6, Holmes 2, Blyden 2, Plush 1.

North — Russell 24, D. Carpenter 17, Williams 11, Polk 10, Sullivan 2, Jefferies 2, , Brown, M. Alford 2.

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HARRISBURG — Sixth-seeded A.L. Brown ended a 6-19 season with an 85-69 loss at second-seeded Hickory Ridge in the first round of the Greater Metro Conference Tournament.