From staff reports

HICKORY — Catawba senior Serena Brown was quiet in the scoring column until the Indians really needed her.

Brown made the two key shots of the game to lift Catawba’s women to a 76-70 South Atlantic Conference win at Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday.

It was a roller-coaster ride. Catawba (7-6, 5-1) started out with very efficient shooting. The Indians led by 11 points late in the first quarter and were still up 41-35 at halftime. Catawba shot 58 percent in the first half.

The Bears (8-7, 2-5) took over the game in the third quarter, caught up and pushed to several five-point leads in the fourth quarter.

With Catawba down 70-69, Brown made a driving layup with 1:34 remaining to put the Indians ahead to stay.

Brown’s huge 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining gave Catawba a 74-70 lead. Then Brown made a free throw for a 75-70 lead with 19 seconds left.

Terri Rogers scored 17  for Catawba. Brown had 10 points and eight assists. Madi Hallman (11), Marshauna Butler (10) and Talia Barnes (10) also scored in double figures. Barnes led a Catawba bench group that contributed 28 points.

Toineta Kendall scored 25 for the Bears.

Catawba 76, L-R 70

CATAWBA (76)

Rogers 17, Hallman 11, Barnes 10, Brown 10, Butler 10, Stanback 4, Franklin 3, Newbold 2, Hodges 2, Tucker, Webb.

LENOIR-RHYNE (70)

Kendall 25, Weigt 14, Suddreth 8, Swango 7, Denny 6, Ritchie 4, Joyner 3, Nunn 2, Bearden 1.

Catawba  19  22  13  22  — 76

L-R            12  23  18  17   — 70

Catawba men fall

HICKORY —    Lenoir-Rhyne used a big second half to pull away from  Catawba, 85-63, in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball on Wednesday at Shuford Gym.

Catawba played without injured starters Jameel Taylor and Malik Constantine. The Indians (3-8, 0-6) got 18 points each from Jerrin Morrison and John McRae.

Morrison added seven rebounds. Jeremy McLaughlin grabbed 10 rebounds and scored seven points. Jordan Barber dished out six assists.

Djibril Diallo tallied 26 points for the Bears (5-8, 3-4), while grabbing six rebounds and posting seven assists. Cory Thomas collected 23 points and Jarvis Calhoun added 11.

L-R shot 57 percent for the game.

Cold Catawba shot just 33 percent in the first half and 39 percent for the game. The Indians were 4-for-18 on 3-pointers and 11-for-21 on free throws.

Catawba is on the road again Saturday afternoon at Carson-Newman.

L-R 85, Catawba 63

CATAWBA (63)

Morrison 18, McRae 18, McLauglin 7, Phillips 6, Barber 5, Jeffers 4, Johnson 4,  Robinson 1, Lentz, Childress.

LENOIR-RHYNE (85)

Diallo 26, Thomas 23, Calhoun 11, Lucas 7, Bales 5, Leskovar 4, Wembi 4, Simmons 4, Hawks 1.

Catawba  30  33 — 63

L-R            38  47 — 85

Pfeiffer romps

  FERRUM, Va. – Senior Josh Calhoun stayed red-hot as the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team ran its win streak to seven  with a  103-62 romp at Ferrum on Wednesday night.

Calhoun followed up his 46-point outburst on Saturday with a 30-point effort for the Falcons (7-0).

Calhoun has made 18 3-pointers in his last two games.

The Falcons still have D-II talent, but they’re playing a D-III schedule for the first time and are crushing opponents by an average of 40 points.

Jevon Patton added 19 points off the bench for the Falcons and has scored in double-digits in five straight contests.

Pfeiffer forced Ferrum into 31 turnovers.

LC postponed

SALISBURY — The Livingstone College basketball games scheduled at Elizabeth City State University on Thursday evening, has been postponed due to the winter storm which is forecast for eastern North Carolina.

A makeup date for this CIAA doubleheader is Jan. 29, with the women’s game starting at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game at 7:30.

Livingstone travels to Petersburg, Va., for a doubleheader at Virginia State on Saturday. The women’s game starts at 2 p.m., with the men’s game following at 4 o’clock.

   

Women’s basketball

Averett’s Amani Ajayi (East Rowan) had 17 points and eight rebounds in an 89-76 win against Salem on Wednesday. Ajayi was playing against former AAU and high school teammates Shenique and Shenell Pharr.

Prep games

Powerful Hickory Ridge, ranked fifth in 4A, pummeled Garinger, 81-15, on Wednesday.

Hickory Ridge (11-1) led after the first quarter, 31-0.

Skyler Aardema  led the Bulls with 11 points.

•••

Dee Long poured in 41 points as the Thomasville girls beat North Davidson, 69-61, in Central Carolina Conference action on Wednesday.

Abby McMillan scored 22 for the Black Knights, and Lexi Bryant had 17.

•••

East Forsyth’s 4A boys won a 58-53 struggle against Mount Tabor, a strong 3A club, on Wednesday.

Shemar Watkins scored 13 for East Forsyth.

Isaiah Wilkins had 20 for Mount Tabor.

Elks Hoops Shoot

The Salisbury Elks Lodge No. 699 and Salisbury Parks and Recreation will host the annual Hoop Shoot Free Throw contest on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Hall Gym.

The event is free and open to boys and girls, ages 8-13 (as of April 1, 2018).

Participants can register in advance by contacting Liz Tennent, event coordinator at ectennent@gmail.com or call/text  704-267-5273.

Event day registration is from 1-1:30 at Hall Gym.  All participants must be registered at Hall Gym by 1:30.   The contest starts at 2 p.m.

Winners in each of the six divisions will be awarded trophies and will advance to   district competition on Saturday, Jan.27, in Winston Salem.

There also are state and regional competitions leading to the National Hoop Shoot Championships in Chicago in April.

Parks and Rec

The Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department is  accepting registration for its girls, ages 7-15, and coed, ages 5-6, youth basketball leagues.

Cost is $30 per participant.

Registration runs through Jan. 13 at Hall Gym or online at www.salisburync.gov/play.  Practices begin the end of Jan. and games start in Feb.  Call 704-638-5289 for information.

Hurley YMCA

The J.F. Hurley YMCA is taking registrations for   boys basketball for grades, 2-8. The program teaches basketball fundamentals and skills as well as YMCA core values.

Register through Jan. 16    at the J.F. Hurley YMCA or online at www.rowanymca.org. Contact Jesse Byrd at 704-636-0111 or Jbyrd@rowanymca.org for information.