From staff reports

GRANITE QUARRY — Maci Cooper made three 3-pointers and scored 16 points as Carson’s girls won a 44-39 North Piedmont Conference struggle at East Rowan.

The back-and-forth game had many similarities to Carson’s 43-38 win against East in a Christmas tournament semifinal. Those are the two lowest-scoring games of the season for both teams.

“Definitely it was another defensive battle,” winning coach Brooke Stouder said. “Very low-scoring. Nothing coming easily for either team. We feel very fortunate to win.”

Ellie Wilhelm scored 10 for seventh-ranked Carson (14-2, 2-0).

East (13-3, 1-1) got 13 points from freshman Leah Hinceman and nine from Mary Spry.

Cooper got Carson going early. The Cougars were up by as many as nine points in the first quarter.

“It was a tough start for us,” East coach Kevin Holland said. “We had six fouls midway through the first quarter. We got down, but then we came back.”

At the half, Carson settled for a 22-21 lead.

Carson got in major foul trouble in the third quarter, with Carleigh Perry and Hannah Isley both getting their fourth fouls. East inched in front.

“It was 32-31 East for a very long time,” Stouder said. “Neither team could score. We missed some layups, but East also did a great job against us defensively.”

East went up by as many as five points, but couldn’t hold off the Cougars.

Cooper made big free throws in the fourth quarter.

“A big play was after we rebounded one of their missed free throws,” Holland said. “I tried to call timeout as Adalie (Harrison) was bringing the ball up the court. The official finally gave me the timeout right as Adalie was making a shot. That hurt, I know it deflated the girls a little.”

Other than Cooper, who went 7-for-9, Carson had an awful time at the foul line. The Cougars were 8-for-20.

East had a height advantage, but Carson got six rebounds each from Taylor Conrad and Hannah Isley. Wilhelm had five rebounds. Hannah Isley also had three steals. Lani Isley did most of the defensive work against Harrison. One of the county’s top players, she was held to three points on a second quarter 3-pointer. Carson kept her off the foul line.

“It’s great to be able to win a tough road game like that,” Stouder said. “We didn’t play our best, but we still found a win. It’s important to be able to do that.”

CARSON (44) — Cooper 16, Wilhelm 10, H. Isley 6, Co. Perry 5, Conrad 4, L. Isley 3, Ca. Perry, Post, White.

EAST (39) — Hinceman 13, Spry 9, Eagle 7, Houpe 5, Harrison 3, Nwafor 2, Dalton, Honeycutt.

Carson      14    8    9    13   — 44

E. Rowan   8   13   11    7     — 39

•••

MOUNT ULLA — Abigail Wilson scored 30 points as West Rowan rolled against South Iredell, 71-50, in a North Piedmont Conference game.

Wilson pushed her career scoring total to 1,891.

Gabby Blabon scored a season-high 17 for the Falcons (13-1, 1-1). Blabon made four 3-pointers.

Cindy Connolly scored nine. Whitley Arnott and Taylor Poole had six each.

For South Iredell (6-8, 1-1), Ashtyn Ziegler scored 13, Lindsay Durham had 12, and Sarah Nelson scored 10.

S. IREDELL (50) — Ziegler 13, L. Durham 12, Nelson 10, King 7, Mercer 5, Houser 3, Jolly, Weddington, Brown, Kimell.

WEST (71) — Wilson 30, Blabon 17, Connolly 9, Arnott 6, Poole 6, S. Durham 3, Spicer, Cuthbertson, Mason.

S. Iredell   10    7   12   21   — 50

W. Rowan  13   15   23  20  — 71

•••

THOMASVILLE — Jamecia Huntley scored 17 points as Salisbury’s girls stayed unbeaten in the Central Carolina Conference.

The second-ranked Hornets won 53-39 at Thomasville to finish a season sweep of the Bulldogs.

Salisbury won despite serious foul trouble to two starters and held Thomasville to 22 points in the first three quarters. The Bulldogs shot a lot of fourth-quarter free throws.

Salisbury (14-1,10-0) got 13 points from Anayia Fulson, nine from Kyla Bryant and six each from Rachel McCullough and Jaleiah Gibson. Mary Morgan scored two.

Thomasville honors Martin Luther King Jr. on this weekend each year. Salisbury received a trophy for winning the game, and Huntley was named MVP.

•••

SPENCER — North Rowan’s girls outscored Albemarle, 78-43, in a Yadkin Valley Conference game.

It was the most points scored by the North girls since they beat South Rowan, 78-49, to open the 2015-16 season.

Second-place North (11-5, 7-1) completed a season sweep of Albemarle.

Kamora Cannie had 20 points, 10 assists and seven steals.

Makiya McDaniel matched her career high with 18 points.

Hannah Wilkerson had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Natavia Taborn had seven points and six assists. Kimya Lynch had six points and 10 rebounds.

Also scoring for the Cavs were Chloee Stoner (8), Alaysia King (6), Darlissa Robbins (2) and Azeria Elder (1).

•••

LANDIS – South Rowan’s girls edged East Davidson for a Central Carolina Conference win.

The Raiders (4-12, 3-7) beat the Golden Eagles (0-15, 0-10) for the second time.

Freshman Madilyn Cherry (13 points) and Mackenzie Chabala (8) led the scoring for the Raiders. Bethany Rymer and Carlie Moore added seven each.

Salem Hill scored 13 for East Davidson. Callie Warrick had 12.

EAST DAVIDSON (35) — Hill 13, Warrick 12, Baxley 6, Grubb 2, Sechrist 2.

S. ROWAN (38) – Cherry 13, M. Chabala 8, Moore 7, Rymer 7, P. Chabala 2, McGuire 1, Redmon.

E. Davidson    5    6   13   11   — 35

S. Rowan          7   5    14  12   — 38

•••

KANNAPOLIS — Central Cabarrus stormed to a 20-2 lead after a quarter and beat A.L. Brown, 55-36, in South Piedmont Conference action.

Ja’el Miller (16 points), Demi Case (15) and Aniyah Tate (10) led the Vikings (12-5, 3-0).

Jala Campbell and Jaliyah Simmons scored 11 each for the Wonders (5-11, 1-2).

•••

MOCKSVILLE — Davie’s girls lost to Glenn, 71-16, in a Central Piedmont Conference contest.

Liz Johnson led the War Eagles (0-16, 0-3) with nine points.

Jaycee Busick had 21 for the Bobcats (14-1, 3-0).

•••

Emily Hege scored 25 points to lead North Davidson to a 56-40 CCC win against Oak Grove.