By David Shaw
dshaw@salisburypost.com
MOORESVILLE ó At 5-foot-7, Katelynne Poole is a small wonder ó and a big-time scorer.
The East Rowan senior netted 25 points Friday night and became the fifth county player this season to reach 1,000 career points.
“It’s wonderful,” Poole beamed after the Mustangs ripped host Mooresville, 53-35. “I was nervous at the beginning. But everybody told me to calm down and play like I always do. I tried, but obviously something was different tonight.”
Poole played like she had a bus to catch. She needed 13 points to reach the milestone and promptly scored the game’s first 13. There was an early layup, a couple of 3-pointers and a set shot from just inside foul line. Then came a steal deep in East territory followed by a fastbreak layup and a foul on Mooresville’s Anna-Claire Harris. When Poole converted the ensuing free throw with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter, she belonged to history.
“She’s that focused every game, but tonight she was on a mission,” winning coach Karen Garmon said after East (14-7, 12-4 NPC) cemented its grip on third place in the league standings. “She wanted to get those points quickly. She wanted them out of the way so she could relax and play her game.”
The Brevard-bound Poole added another 3-ball late in the first quarter as East built a 15-point lead. “I was actually kind of scared I wasn’t going to get it today,” she said. “Whoever heard of scoring the first 13 points in what, three or four minutes?”
Teammate Ashley Collins, who reached the century mark herself in a Jan. 2 rout of Mooresville, knows the feeling.
“That was one of the greatest feelings in the world,” she said. “I was so excited for her tonight. When she gets going, she’s automatic.”
A victory that should have been just as easy proved somewhat elusive. Mooresville (5-14, 5-10) played bulletproof defense in the second and third quarters and trailed only 39-31 heading to the fourth.
“It seemed like after Katelynne got her thousand, our intensity kind of dropped,” said Collins. “And our offense got sloppy.”
It took a rousing fourth period to put the Blue Devils to bed. Collins opened the final quarter with a line drive set shot from the left side and Poole followed with another steal/fastbreak layup combo. With three minutes to play Poole drilled her fourth 3-pointer, providing a 48-33 East lead.
“Poole always does stuff like that,” said ER junior Alaina Vanderford. “She’s just a really good shooter.”
Garmon has learned that first-hand. “She knows she’s the best player on the floor,” she said. “And she can’t wait to show it.”
east ROWAN (53) ó Poole 25, Holshouser 7, Rankin 6, Collins 6, Vanderford 5, Honeycutt 2, Sabo 2, Corpening, File.
mooresville (35) ó Martin 11, McClaughin 7, Berryman 7, Stockton 6, Thomas 2, Harris 2.E. Rowan 21 11 7 14 ó 53
Mooresville 8 12 11 4 ó 35