Staff report

SPENCER — North Rowan’s girls basketball games with Thomasville this season have included some experiments.

Based on talent, experience and skill level, the Cavaliers know they should beat Thomasville, so coach Darra Walker has used just every possible lineup combination and every conceivable strategy in those three games.

Basically, the Cavaliers (17-7) work on stuff. They work on situations. What do we do if Brittany Ellis fouls out? What if Chloee Stoner fouls out? What do we do if we have to play five minutes without Bailee Goodlett?

The third meeting was on Monday in the first round of the Central Carolina Conference Tournament. Second-seeded North won 71-30, ending the season for the seventh-seeded Bulldogs, who didn’t win a game in 2022-23.

Walker knew Goodlett could get eight steals make eight uncontested layups against the Bulldogs, but that wasn’t much of a challenge. She wanted her to get ready for the playoffs. She wanted her to work on 3s in game conditions because teams are going to defend her as a driver in the playoffs. They’re going to make Goodlett make 3s.

No problem. Goodlett can shoot and she’s getting better at it every day. She made six 3-pointers. Her last 12 points came on 3-pointers. Even without transition gimmes, she scored 30 points, a little above her average.

It was the ninth time Goodlett has reached 30 points this season. She’s scored 660 points.

That’s a fantastic season, the ninth-highest scoring season for a Rowan girl in the modern era … and still counting. She’s still got some work to do for the program record. Stephanie Cross scored 761 in the 1993-94 season.

Ellis, who placed seventh in the shot put in the state indoor track meet on Saturday, is a pretty amazing athlete. She returned to basketball, made two 3-pointers and scored 11.

Dasia Elder made one 3-pointer and scored 12, one of her best games.

North led 29-13 at the half and put up 32 points in the third quarter for a 40-point lead and a running clock.

North’s had quite a season. Five of the seven losses are to West Rowan and Salisbury, teams with state championship aspirations.

Next for the Cavaliers is a semifinal game on Thursday. They will play tournament host Lexington, the No. 3 seed.

They won’t have to hold anything back against a tough Lexington team, and they might need another 30 from Goodlett to beat the Yellow Jackets for the third time.

Thomasville    7      6    7    10   — 30

North Rowan  12   17   32  10   — 71

North — Bailee Goodlett 30, D. Elder 12, Ellis 11, A. Elder 6, Mills 4, Stoner 3, Mason 2, Sherrill 2, Stockton 1.