Staff report

SALISBURY — East Rowan’s girls beat Central Davidson 48-34 in a Friday night semifinal and are in the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic championship game for the first time since 2014.

The top-seeded and very experienced Mustangs (8-2) won their sixth game in a row, their longest winning streak in five years.

In the 6 p.m. championship game on Saturday, East will take on an improving Salisbury team (6-3) that has won six of its last seven games. The lone loss for the Hornets during that stretch was to East.

East got off to a super start against fourth-seeded Central Davidson, grabbed a 9-0 lead, and never allowed the Spartans (5-6) to catch up.

“We won with our defense,” East coach Bri Evans said. “Held them to five points in the first quarter and held them to five in the fourth quarter.”

East led 15-5 at the of the first quarter. The second quarter was even, but the Mustangs took a 26-16 lead to the break.

East maintained that double-digit lead at the end of the third quarter. A young Central squad cut East’s lead to six with about five minutes to go, but the Mustangs finished strong.

“Kady Collins hit a big 3 and we made our free throws,” Evans said.

Mary Church led the Mustangs with 18 points. Collins and Sadie Featherstone had nine each.

Central Davidson   5    11    13    5    — 34

East Rowan            15   11   13     9    — 48

EAST scoring — Church 18, Featherstone 9, Collins 9, Smith 5, Wise 4, Kluttz 3.