Sadie Featherstone. Curt Fowler photo.

 

Staff report

LANDIS — The offense for the East Rowan girls basketball team is spurty, but the defense never rests.

The Mustangs struggled on the offensive end early at South Rowan on Friday, but it didn’t matter much. They held the Raiders to two points during the first 11 minutes and cruised to a 49-26 South Piedmont Conference victory.

It was the eighth straight win for the Mustangs (10-3, 3-2), including three on a big stage in the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic, although the serious battles are still ahead. East is a hot team, but is still 0-2 against the top half of the SPC, with six key league games remaining with Northwest Cabarrus, Robinson, Central Cabarrus and Lake Norman Charter.

Isis Smith powered in two buckets late in the first quarter as the Mustangs took an 11-2 lead. She controlled the paint most of the game.

“Isis was open on the roll, and we’ve just got to get the ball to her,” East coach Bri Evans said. “If she makes her free throws, she can give us double figures every game.”

Mary Church got hot in the second quarter, as East surged ahead 19-2. Church made two 3-pointers and four free throws during a take-over quarter.

South had a 9-0 run led by Meghan Eagle to climb back to 19-11. East led 23-12 at the break.

Neither team lit it up in the third quarter, as East maintained its lead.

Sadie Featherstone got on a roll and had a 10-point fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers, as East finished strong.

“Sadie and Mary have been ballin’,” Evans said.

Church scored 19, Featherstone had 17, and Smith, who has historically played well against South, added a season-best nine.

Kady Collins, who missed the Christmas tournament finale with illness, returned to action. She didn’t score, but she’ll have to be a key player if East is going to compete with the best teams in the league.

Except for that flurry in the second quarter, the Raiders (4-8, 1-5) were never able to score consistently. Ella Morgan and Avery Fisher scored six points each. Fisher got her points on 3-pointers.

East Rowan    11   12   10   16  — 49

South Rowan  2    10    8   6     — 26

EAST — Church 19, Featherstone 17, Smith 9, Kluttz 2, Stepp 2.

SOUTH — Fisher 6, Morgan 6, Eagle 5, White 3, Dextraze 2, Pharr 2, Menius 2.