By Marny Hendrick

sports@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — In a game where points were tough to come by for both teams, the Davie County girls pulled away at the start of the fourth quarter to outlast North Rowan, 38-28, Friday morning.

The early morning consolation battle in the Dale’s/Sam Moir Christmas Classic at Goodman Gym was a two-point game late in the third period, at 26-24. War Eagles’ senior Emma Slabach then decided to put the team on her shoulders with an eight-point scoring surge to effectively settle the outcome.

Slabach, who led the winners with 21 points, drained a 3-pointer to close out the third period, then nailed another to open the final quarter. Her driving layup with 6:25 to play gave Davie a 34-24 lead and North simply had no response.

The North girls (3-6) were their own worst enemy by connecting on just 5-of-17 free throws for the game, including 3-of-12 in the first half, when the contest was close.

Cavalier coach Lamar Wilkerson could only shake his head about the missed foul shots. “I don’t know what happened,” he said. “We came out flat and at the end of the day, it was the free throws that hurt us.”

The War Eagles (4-6) were not very effective offensively, but rode the hot hand of Slabach when it counted the most. Davie also dominated the boards with a 28-20 edge, led by senior post player Lexie May with nine boards, to go with her 10 points.

For North, the offensive attack remained somewhat one dimensional as freshman guard Hannah Wilkerson, the coach’s daughter, scored 17 of the team’s 28 points, including all five of the made free throws. She scored 13 of the team’s 17 points in the first half, including a high, banked 3-pointer —plus an old fashioned three-point play, tying the game at 15-15, late in the half.

“I am a team coach and I believe in letting the team take what the defense gives us,” Wilkerson said. “We tried to spread the ball around to everyone, but there was a lot of miscommunication and missed shots.”

The win puts Davie in the fifth-place game at 12 noon Saturday against East Rowan (10-2). North falls to the 9 a.m., seventh-place game on Saturday as it tries to salvage a win in the tournament, against winless A.L. Brown (0-9).

DAVIE COUNTY (38) — Slabach 21, May 10, Tellep 6, M. Lewis 1, Dinks, Tatum, Kite, K. Lewis.

NORTH ROWAN (28) — Wilkerson 17, Taborn 5, Reid 4, Shoaf 2, Robbins, McDaniel, Sherrill, Cain.

Davie County        13      7      9      9 —38

North Rowan          6    11      7      4 — 28