Staff report

ASHEBORO — The 19th win for North Rowan’s basketball team came on Thursday in the second round of the 1A state playoffs.

The 14th-seeded Cavaliers won 67-44 at No. 3 seed Uwharrie Charter and the did it with relative ease.

The key numbers for the Cavaliers (19-5) were four in double figures and 1-3-1.

The 1-3-1 zone is the defense the Cavaliers used to contain Uwharrie Charter’s 6-foot-7 standout Ashton Troutman.

“He’s kind of a traditional back-to-the-basket post man with a nice touch,” North head coach Jason Causby explained. “Sort of a Tyler Hansbrough type. Likes to shoot it over his right shoulder.”

Pharrell Hailey, the biggest and strongest Cavalier at 6-foot-5, keyed the defense on Troutman, pushing him out, and there was a lot of help from collapsing wing defenders when Troutman caught the ball.

“He’s a good player and he still scored 22,” Causby said. “But he was dog-tired by the end of it. He didn’t get anything easy. He had to work for all 22.”

Derrick Hanson was usually the defender running the baseline in the 1-3-1. Hanson is a long and athletic senior. The 1-3-1 is vulnerable to corner shooters, but Hanson was able to get out and contest some shots and Uwharrie Charter (19-7) missed some open looks.

“Sometimes you work on a scouting report and then you go out play and everybody on the other team has a career night,” Causby said. “But this time our scout was spot on. We limited Troutman and none of their other guys really hurt us. They’ve also got a 6-foot-5 kid (Alijah Barker) who gets them going sometimes, but he was quiet.”

Uwharrie Charter is very good and beat Salisbury early this season behind 26 points from Troutman.

Uwharrie Charter wiped out North Rowan 72-46 early last season when they were Yadkin Valley Conference rivals, so this was sweet payback for North.

Quashawn Carpenter got the Cavaliers started with two 3-pointers in the first quarter.

“Sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself in the big games and tries to do too much,” Causby said. “I thought he did a great job tonight of letting it come to him. He gave us big energy.”

North had a terrific defensive first quarter and shoved the stunned home team into a 17-4 hole.

“We were rebounding very well and we got the shots we wanted,” Causby said.

Uwharrie Charter cut into the deficit some in the second quarter. North took a 27-18 lead to halftime.

North’s 22-point third quarter proved decisive.

“We got the momentum back early in the third and pushed the lead out to 18,” Causby said.

Quashawn Carpenter scored 16. Darell Carpenter was a long-armed defender in the 1-3-1 and scored 12. Amir Alexander (11 points) and Hanson (10) made their shots.

North hasn’t lost to anyone this season except Salisbury and Thomasville. Both of those teams are still alive in the playoffs.

Next for North is a Saturday trip to sixth-seeded Bessemer City (22-4). Bessemer City’s Yellow Jackets beat Mount Airy 65-54.

Bessemer City guard Randall Pettus has produced some incredible stats, including 26 points per game.

N, Rowan    17   10   22   18  — 67

UCA            4      14   14   12   — 44

NORTH — Q. Carpenter 16, D. Carpenter 12, Alexander 11, Hanson 10, Whitney 8, Charleston 5, Hailey 5.

UCA — Troutman 22 Leonard 9, Dunn 5, Barker 3, Denamur 2, Wheat 2, Harrison 1.