From staff reports

CHINA GROVE — Mary Church outscored Carson’s basketball team on Tuesday, leading East Rowan to a 53-19 victory.

Church scored 22 for the Mustangs (11-11, 7-8) in the South Piedmont Conference game. She’s had three 20-point games in her last four outings.

It was Senior Night at Carson, but that only served as a reminder that the Cougar girls are senior-less.

Carson had one senior to celebrate last season, as soccer goalkeeper Alona Locklear made a comeback after several years away from the sport to help out a short-handed hoops program.

But the Cougars, who were undefeated 3A state champions just three years ago and were conference champs and a fourth-round playoff team that was still beating West Rowan two years ago, had no four-year basketball players in the classes of 2023 or 2024.

They do have quite a few juniors, including Allie Martin, who was the team’s leading scorer as a sophomore but has missed this entire season following knee surgery. Assuming Martin makes a full recovery, the Cougars will have a chance to be much stronger for coach Chloe Monroe in 2024-25.

Only three Cougars scored against East. Freshman Rylee Hedrick scored 10. Freshman Leana Baldwin had six. Laila Furr, one of the juniors, scored three.

Hannah Waddell added nine points for the Mustangs, and a lot of East players chipped in with 2s and 4s.

East’s Bri Evans is coaching through a painful knee sprain and will lead the Mustangs into a big game at Concord on Friday to finish the regular season.

EAST — Church 22, Waddell 9, Smith 5, Wise 4, J. Featherstone 4, Collins 4, Alderman 2, Stepp 2, Kluttz 1.

CARSON – Hedrick 10, Baldwin 6, Furr 3.

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MOORESVILLE — A.L. Brown’s girls won at Mooresville 62-56 in overtime.

The Wonders had won by 25 against Mooresville at home, but winning on the road on Senior Night is always a challenge.

Yanni Flood scored 22 points for the Wonders (11-13, 2-10), while Sadie Faulkner had 21 in the Greater Metro Conference contest.

Trinity Robinson added 12 for A.L. Brown, which had two players foul out in an intense game.

Mooresville is 3-19 and 0-11 in the league.

A.L. BROWN — Flood 22, Faulkner 21, Robinson 12, Bradley 5, Stevens 2, Goode-Roberts 1.