By Mike London

Salisbury Post

WINSTON-SALEM — East Rowan’s girls have a three-game winning streak for the first time this season.

The third-place Mustangs took care of business quickly and efficiently in Saturday night’s 62-44 CPC romp at R.J. Reynolds, and coach Karen Garmon was able to clear her bench midway through the third quarter.

East (8-11, 4-3) is back on its feet after starting the season 1-6 and dropping three of its first four CPC games.

“We’re swinging the ball, and our shots are falling now,” Garmon said. “Our past three games we’ve played well, and that confidence carries over.”

Reynolds (1-17, 0-8) is in last place, so Garmon was at least as concerned with the strangeness of playing on a Saturday night on the road, as she was with the Demons’ personnel.

“This gym is different, the rims are different, the ball bounces funny here,” Garmon said. “But we shot around this morning at 9, then came up here early and shot some more.”

Ashley Collins swished a 3-pointer in the opening seconds. Jump shots by Rebecca Cooper and Haley Miller followed, along with 3s by Lauren Cress and Katelynne Poole.

Four minutes into the game, all five East starters had scored for a 13-5 lead, and the Demons were calling their first timeout.

“We were pushing the ball up the floor,” said Poole, who scored all 11 of her points in the first half. “We were just ready to play, and playing on Saturday was OK, I guess.”

Poole scored four quick points in the final seconds of the first quarter for a 22-9 lead, and the Mustangs stretched their advantage to 34-16 at halftime.

East shot 48 percent from the field in the first half and pounded the Demons 20-11 on the backboards.

Collins had a terrific flurry to start the third quarter, scoring nine points in a hurry as East blew the game open. The sophomore finished with 14 points — her 14th game in double figures.

“Ashley is our Brittany Cornelius,” said Garmon, referring to last year’s all-county player who is now starring as a freshman at Meredith. “Whatever we need, Ashley gives it to us. Points, rebounds, assists and playing outside or in the post. She doesn’t question anything, she just says, ‘I’ll do it’ and goes out and does it.”

East’s biggest lead was 55-26 on Haley Barrier’s basket to start the fourth quarter, but the Demons put together a 9-0 run that forced Garmon to take a let’s-settle-down timeout.

Barrier hit a shot to stop the run, and Lindsey Smith made a couple of baskets to keep the Mustangs comfortably ahead.

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NOTES: Charity Britton, who sat out the first quarter, led the Demons with 15 points. … East has a week to prepare for second-place North Davidson at home on Friday. The Mustangs had a disappointing outing when they lost 57-32 to the Knights in Welcome. “We can do better,” Poole said. “But we have to handle their press.”

EAST (62) — Collins 14, Poole 11, Miller 8, Cress 5, K. Stout 5, Smith 5, Barrier 4, Cooper 4, Vanderford 3, Hill 2, S. Stout 1, Everhardt.

REYNOLDS (44) — Britton 15, Smart 9, Franklin 6, Hogulund 5, Cuthbertson 3, Vinlaun 2, Dunn 2, Robinson 2, Buchanan, Williams.

East 22 12 19 9 — 62

Reynolds 9 7 10 18 — 44

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com.