Staff report

LANDIS — South Rowan’s boys basketball team was overmatched in the South Piedmont Conference opener and was blown out by Northwest Cabarrus 85-36.

Northwest (4-1, 1-0) crushed the Raiders (0-3, 0-1) on the boards and with their defensive pressure and put four men in double figures.

Both Gonders, sophomore guard Justin and senior forward Jordan, scored 14 points to lead the visitors.

Jordan Gonder, who made quick spins and moved the ball well as a high-post passer, scored his 1,000th career point on a first-quarter free throw. The game was stopped briefly as he hugged family members in the bleachers.

South has lost 25 straight and needs something positive to happen, but it didn’t come close to happening on Friday in the South gym.

“There weren’t many bright spots,” South coach Daniel Blevins said. “We failed to execute on anything we tried to do.”

Northwest led 11-0 right away. South got back to 17-9 on a Carter Rohletter 3-pointer, but the Trojans spurted again to lead 25-11 after a quarter. Northwest got two early 3-pointers from Landon Rowe, but most of the damage was done on layups.

After Northwest scored the first 13 points of the second quarter, it was 38-11. South didn’t score the first four minutes of the quarter. Jaden Moore made a jump shot to end the drought.

It was 50-24 at the half.

Aiden Rochevot made it a running-clock game when he drilled a 3-pointer for a 70-28 cushion late in the third quarter.

Dalton Young couldn’t get anything to fall from long range, but got to the foul line often enough to lead the Raiders with 10 points.

Aaron Jones made two 3-pointers and scored nine. Rohletter also made two 3-pointers, while Carston Carey made one.

Northwest lost starting forward Connor Walker in the first quarter. He injured an ankle.

Northwest battered Mount Pleasant 81-42 on Saturday.

NW Cabarrus    25    25   22   13    — 85

S. Rowan            11     13   4      8     — 36

NWC — Jordan Gonder 14, Justin Gonder 14, Rochevot 11, Filipkowski 11, Rowe 9, Woolfolk 7, Dellinger 6, Bryan-Wynans 5, Gichiban 4, Walker 2, S. Brown 2.

SOUTH — Young 10, Jones 9, Rohletter 6, Carey 5, Moore 4, Jackson 2.