GRANITE QUARRY — The East Rowan Mustangs ran the final play just the way the coach drew it up and were rewarded with a victory. Sophomore guard Tay Davis followed his own miss just before the buzzer Friday night to boost East to a 49-47 win over Northwest Cabarrus. in a South Piedmont league contest

The win not only completed a rally from a 12 point second half deficit for East (3,3, 2-2) but also snapped a three game losing skid in the process.

“The team finally listened, grew up and played like a team tonight,” Mustang coach Trey Ledbetter said. “They ran that final play to a T. It is a huge confidence builder for this team.”

The Trojans (1-6, 0-4) took early control with a 10 point lead after one period and expanded it to 31-20 at the half. The margin stayed in double digits until the early fourth period when the Mustangs’ deliberate half court offense and pressure defense started to pay dividends. A pair of clutch three pointers by Logan Shuping completed the rally and gave East a 47-43 lead.

NWC  tied it at 47-47 on a Patrick Hart basket then had the ball with just over a minute left. But Ian Bradshaw rebounded a missed shot in the lane with 8.6 second left to set up the last second heroics by Davis. After a double timeout, Davis drove the ball right down the lane for a layup. It bounced off the back of the rim but Davis stayed with it to put back the game winner just before the final horn.

Shuping with 12 and Davis with 10 led the Mustangs while point guard Dalton Hathcock topped the Trojans with 16.

There was one tense moment in the first half when East’s Sam Wyrick and Trojan Anthony Caldwell collided after a free throw miss. Caldwell gave a deliberate head butt to the back of Wyrick’s head causing tempers to flair. A technical foul and an ejection of Caldwell followed but the two teams settled in the rest of the night.

NW Cabarrus (47): Hatchcock 16, Mosley 6, Hart 5, Baker 4, Monga 4, Clark 4, Caldwell 3, Leach 3, England 2, Burns

East Rowan (49): Shuping 12, Davis 10, Sam Wyrick 9, Bradshaw 8, Love 7, Caldwell 2, Wyse 1, Baker

NW Cabarrus 21 10 9 7 — 47

East Rowan 11 9 12 17 — 49