Staff report

SALISBURY — Nazir Reaves is one heck of a player, but for one day, at least, A.L. Brown’s boys basketball team was able to band together and win without the 6-foot-6 forward.

With Reaves sidelined by what coach Jonathan Efird described as a calf strain, the Wonders defeated West Rowan 54-50 on Saturday evening for third place in the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic. After a hard-to-watch start, the game transformed into one of the more exciting games that was played in the tournament.

The third-seeded Falcons, who edged Carson in a first-round thriller before being blown out by Salisbury in the semifinals, got off to an awful start against the fourth-seeded Wonders.

West (6-4) dug an 11-2 hole and needed an Elijah Holmes jumper in the final seconds of the first quarter to trail 16-6.

The Wonders (6-3), who nipped North Rowan in Thursday’s first round but fell to Central Davidson in Friday’s semifinals, built a lead, but they weren’t good enough to run away and hide.

Eventually, West started making some buckets and rallied, although the Falcons would make only two 3-pointers the entire game.

Evan Kennedy’s quickness and energy lit a fuse for the Falcons in the second quarter. By halftime, the Wonders’ lead had been whittled to 25-18.

Will Givens made four buckets for West in the third quarter. The Falcons caught up for the first time at 30-all.

A 3-pointer by Brant Graham put the surging Falcons on top by five at 41-36.

Larenz Stevenson, the hero of the two-point victory against North Rowan, made a bucket at the end of the third quarter that got the Wonders back within three.

Derick Brazil made a series of athletic plays in the fourth quarter, as the lead and the momentum swung back to the Wonders.West scored only nine points in the fourth quarter, as the Wonders repeatedly got key defensive stops.

With West down three points, Kennedy made a terrific, leaping steal in the backcourt, but then missed on a dunk attempt.

Masiah Bennermon calmly made two late free throws, pushing the lead from three to five points, and icing the game for the Wonders.

“Big team win for us,” Efird said. “Always a good day to beat West.”

Brazil led the Wonders with 14 points. Kadan Williams, who had three straight solid games and made all-tournament, scored 12. Stevenson had 11, and Noah Hancock contributed eight.

Kennedy led the Falcons with 13 points. Givens and Holmes scored 12 apiece.

A.L. Brown    16    9      13    16    — 54

West              6       12     23   9      — 50

WEST — Kennedy 13, Givens 12, Holmes 12, Norman 6, Graham 3, Tucker 2, Young 2.