Staff report

SPENCER – North Rowan’s boys basketball team lost 76-75 to Lincoln Charter on Saturday.

It was an exciting non-conference game that impacted the local basketball scene quite a bit, as it knocked North Rowan out of the top seed for the Sam Moir Christmas Classic.

North (3-2) dropped down to the third seed, behind Carson and Salisbury. That means a much tougher path to the championship at Catawba College next week.

Enari Russell did all that he could do on Saturday, turning in a monstrous effort with 32 points, seven assists and five steals. He scored 20 in the first half.

Dyzarious Carpenter scored 20 as an encore to the 31 he produced on Friday, while Jeremiah Alford pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

Lincoln Charter (5-5) got 21 points each from Kelon Flowers and David Reed IV.

The Eagles shot it well, making 10 3-pointers and 12 of 15 free throws.

North made four 3-pointers and was 11-for-18 on free throws, with Russell accounting for seven of the makes.

Lincoln Charter led 43-40 at halftime and was up seven heading to the fourth quarter.

Lincoln Charter     21   22   21   12    —  76

North Rowan        19     21    17   18    — 75

NORTH scoring — Russell 32, D. Carpenter 20, Williams 7, Alford 6, Tarver 3, Mosley 3, Polk 2, Feamster 2.