From staff reports

HUNTERSVILLE — West Rowan’s boys keep grinding out South Piedmont Conference victories.

Tuesday’s trip to Lake Norman Charter was expected to be a struggle — and it was. West Rowan won 56-53 to finish a season sweep of the Knights.

Lake Norman Charter (10-10, 5-6) is in fifth place in the SPC, but is a dangerous fifth-place team.

West (14-6, 9-2) got 26 points from Athan Gill. Freshman Brant Graham tied his season high with 11.

Graham’s points were critical as the Knights held Will Givens and Kayvone Norman well below their normal production.

“We won with defense,” West coach Dadrian Cuthbertson said. “Trusted each  other, believed in each other, played together.”

West stayed a game ahead of Concord and Northwest Cabarrus in the battle for second place and has won 14 out of 15 games since starting the season 0-5.

West Rowan     16    12    13    15   — 56

LN Charter       16   10     8     19  —   53

West — Gill 26, Graham 11, Holmes 7, Givens 6, Norman 3, Stockton 2, Hairston 1.

•••

CONCORD — Looking at the scoreboard in Concord’s Rimer Gym, it appeared that the Spiders had rolled for four first-quarter touchdowns, while the South Rowan Raiders had been going three-and-out.

This was South Piedmont Conference basketball, but with a football-ish score on Tuesday. It was Concord 27, South Rowan 0 after the first quarter.

“We’ve got to get over those start-of-the-game jitters,” South coach Daniel Blevins said.

It got better for the Raiders, but not a whole lot better. They took a 69-21 pounding from the talented home team.

Concord’s Brayden Blue scored 13 in the first quarter, including an impressive baseline drive flush, and it appeared that he could have scored 50 with no problem. He sat down early with 17.

Jeremiah Howard, Concord’s extra-large, 6-foot-6 post man,  has been a tough matchup all season. He rumbled for 16 points with some flurries on the offensive glass and helped the Spiders stay one game behind West Rowan in the fight for second place in the SPC.

South was down 31-0 in the second quarter on Coach Bo Court when Aaron Jones hit a 3-pointer to put South on the board.

The Raiders warmed up and made five 3s in that second quarter, two each by Jones and Jadon Moore and one by Grayson McGuire. South trailed 45-15 at halftime.

When the third quarter began with a 13-0 run by the Spiders (13-7, 8-3), it was 58-15, and running-clock time.

South (1-18, 0-11) made just three buckets in the second half — 2-pointers by Carsten Carey, Brooks Overcash and Zion Jackson.

Blevins said South’s top two scorers — Dalton Young and Bronson Hunt — are no longer with the team.

South Rowan   0     15    4    2   — 21

Concord            27    18   15   9  — 69

South — Jones 6, Moore 6, McGuire 3, Jackson 2, Carey 2, Overcash 2.

•••

CONCORD — Central Cabarrus’ relentless defensive pressure and efficient offense incinerated another victim on Tuesday.

East Rowan’s boys lost 83-35 to the Vikings and never had a chance.

The Mustangs (5-14, 2-9) got down 16-0 in a hurry and were shut out until Jonathan Wembolua’s three-point play with 3:44 left in the first quarter finally put the Mustangs on the board.

Central (21-0, 11-0) led 32-5 after a quarter and by 62-12 at halftime in its latest devastating performance.

Jaiden Thompson and Chase Daniel scored 12 points each to lead a balanced onslaught for coach Jim Baker’s Vikings. Gavin Bullock contributed 10.

The Vikings are 51-1 during the last two seasons.

East, which lost 90-54 to the Vikings in Granite Quarry, got 10 points each from Dylan Valley and Tee Harris.

Valley made progress toward 1,000 career points. The senior guard has 977.

East plays at Carson on Friday, while Central Cabarrus travels to West Rowan.

East Rowan                  5    7    12   11   — 35

Central Cabarrus      32   27   17   7   — 83

East — Valley 10, Harris 10, Haynes 5, Wembolua 3, Danzine 2, Lee 2, Ali 2, Sprinkle 1.

•••

CONCORD — Carson’s boys lost at Northwest Cabarrus 63-46 on Tuesday, the fourth straight setback for the Cougars.

Northwest (10-8, 8-3) took charge of the game early, and a five-point second quarter put Carson in a 34-18 hole at halftime.

The Trojans got 13 points each from Mason Trombley and Jordan Gonder, while Landon Rowe had 12.

BJ Howard, Mikey Beasley and Jonah Drye scored 10 each for Carson (8-12, 1-10).

The Cougars will look to bounce back when East Rowan visits on Friday.

Carson   13  5    13   15  — 46

NWC    22   12   11   18   — 63

Carson — Drye 10, Howard 10, Beasley 10, Taylor 5, Ball 3, Guida 3, Burleyson 3, McGruder 2.