High school girls basketball: West, Wonders romp; tough nights for Raiders, North Hills

Published 9:21 am Sunday, January 21, 2024

From staff report

HUNTERSVILLE — After physical games with Northwest Cabarrus and Robinson, Friday’s trip to Lake Norman Charter was almost a vacation for West Rowan’s girls basketball team.

The Falcons had an enjoyable time, cruising to a 76-20 victory and staying unbeaten in the South Piedmont Conference.

West beat Lake Norman Charter 93-11 in Mount Ulla early in the season.

West (13-1, 8-0) scored 28 points in the first quarter, led 49-15 at the half, got the running clock in the third quarter when the lead reached 40, and shut out the Knights (4-12, 2-7) in the fourth quarter. West forced 30 turnovers and held Lake Norman Charter to 26-percent shooting.

LNC freshman Abby Courtney showed that she’s going to be a player. She shot 7-for-11 and scored 15 points. Lucy Courtney was the only other Knight to get in the scorebook. She scored five.

De’Mya Phifer scored a season-high 22 points to lead the Falcons. Lauren Arnold (15), Emma Clarke (14) and Tiara Thompson (11) also were in double figures.

West has won 11 in a row since losing to 4A Lake Norman. The Falcons have three road games in the week ahead, starting with Monday’s game at South Rowan.

West Rowan      28     21     12     15    — 76

LN Charter        8          7        5       0    — 20

WEST — Phifer 22, Arnold 15, Clarke 14, Thompson 11, Wilson 6, Tenor 2, Edwards 2, Martin 2, Clawson 2.

LNC — A. Courtney 15, L. Courtney 5.

•••

CONCORD — Northwest Cabarrus’ girls basketball team battered South Rowan on the offensive glass and rolled 56-12 in a South Piedmont Conference game on Friday.

Active post player Kennedy Hilsenroth got NWC’s first five points by hitting the offensive glass, and South’s top post player Kynlee Dextraze sat down with two personal fouls in the first minute. That was the last thing South needed to happen.

Day Pharr scored South’s first bucket to make it 5-2, but Mackenzie Ortscheid answered with a 3-pointer as the home team took an 11-2 lead after a quarter.

South didn’t make a field goal in the second quarter — Pharr and Ella Morgan did make free throws — but the game was over by halftime with the Trojans holding a very secure 31-4 lead.

Northwest went ahead 48-8 late in the third quarter to trigger a running clock.

South (3-11, 1-7) managed to score seven in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer by a Avery Fisher. Meghan Eagle connected on a mid-range shot, and Dextraze, a junior scored her 499th and 500th career points with a layup.

A Dextraze free throw accounted for South’s only point of the fourth quarter.

The Raiders were held to a season-low offensive production by the Trojans, who hammered South 70-23 early in the season.

A’Lannah Moore scored 11 for the Trojans (12-4, 7-2), while Ortscheid had 10.

South Rowan       2     2    7    1   — 12

Northwest           11   20   17   8   — 56

SOUTH — Pharr 3, Fisher 3, Dextraze 3, Eagle 2, Morgan 1.

•••

KANNAPOLIS — A.L. Brown’s girls basketball team got its first Greater Metro Conference win on Friday, beating Mooresville, 70-46.

Sadie Faulkner poured in 27 to pace the Wonders (10-6, 1-4).

Trinity Robinson had a career game with 19 points, and R’mani Bradley added 10.

Mooresville (3-13, 0-5) was still in the game at 40-29 at halftime, but the Wonders pulled away.

Mooresville   15     14    8    9   — 46

A.L. Brown    20    20   12   18   — 70

A.L. BROWN – Faulkner 27, Robinson 19, Bradley 10, Stevens 6, Klutz 5, Flood 3.

•••

SALISBURY — North Hills lost to Covenant Classical 53-42 in a girls basketball game played on Friday.

Addison Shehan scored 18 for the Eagles, while Ava Kibler had 14.

Also scoring for the Eagles were Reese Merrell (7) and Gloria-Jane Cross (30>