From staff reports

Friday games …

CONCORD — Concord’s boys stayed unbeaten in the South Piedmont Conference with a routine 79-51 victory against West Rowan on Friday.

West got off to decent start and was only down 19-16 after Josiah Young dunked to start the second quarter.

But an 11-0 Concord run that bumped a 23-17 lead to 34-17 gave the Spiders the separation they were seeking in the second quarter. They led 45-22 at the half at Rimer Gym.

West (1-6, 1-4) sliced Concord’s lead under 20 a few times in the third quarter, but the Spiders (8-1, 4-0) were never in any serious danger.

West got 15 points at the foul line and did a good job of earning free-throw attempts and making a solid percentage.

Jalen Moten made two early 3-pointers to get the Falcons started and scored 14 points.

While the Falcons scored a modest 51 points and lost their fourth straight game, they made some really tough shots. Brennon Stevenson finished the game with a spectacular driving hoop.

Evan Kennedy had several terrific assists.

West played without Brant Graham.

West            14     8      15     14    — 51

Concord      19    26     16    18    — 79

WEST — Moten 14, Ford 10, Young 8, Tucker 6, Stevenson 6, Donaldson 4, Kennedy 3.

•••

TROUTMAN — East Rowan’s boys played on Friday the way head coach Trey Ledbetter envisioned the Mustangs could play when the season started.

East made eight 3-pointers, moved the ball and played aggressive defense. The Mustangs came close to shocking South Iredell.

While the Vikings won 60-47 that didn’t really tell the story. The game was tied with five minutes left. East was down two with 3:43 left on the clock.

“They made a bunch of free throws down the stretch,” Ledbetter said. “But we played a game we can be proud of.”

East (0-8) was destroyed by talented Salisbury on Thursday, but shook off that beating and had a very solid start at South Iredell. The Mustangs came out making 3-pointers — two by freshman Brady Ailshie — held the lead early and were even at 18-all after a quarter.

East cooled off in the second quarter, but two Logan Bradley 3-pointers kept the Mustangs in the game. They were down 35-28 at the half.

East held South Iredell to six points in the third quarter, and Bradley ended the quarter with a deep 3 off an inbounds play to get the Mustangs within 41-37.

Brody Thomas made some tough driving scoops early in the fourth quarter, and East made it a 41-all game with five minutes left.

Kobe Richardson, who scored 21 points, stepped forward at that point and kept the Vikings from losing the game. He had back-to-back and-ones.

Bradley struck again — his fifth 3-pointer — with 3:43 left.That got East within two at 48-46. but it was all Vikings after that. East only got

one more point — on a free throw by Thomas.

Still, it was an outing that gave Ledbetter, the Mustangs and their fans hope.

“We’re young and we’re inexperienced, basically playing a varsity schedule with a jayvee team,” Ledbetter said. “There are nights where we are completely overmatched. But there are nights when we have a chance to compete, and this was one of those nights.”

Bradley and Thomas scored 15 each. Ailshie had 11, while Jude Raiti, who made a 3-pointer in the first quarter, had six.

East            18    10    9     10   — 47

S. Iredell     18   17    6     19    — 60

EAST scoring — Thomas 15, Bradley 15, Ailshie 11, Raiti 6.