Staff report

SALISBURY — Playing against West Rowan’s powerful girls basketball team can be a disheartening experience, but Central Davidson shook off the trauma of a 47-point semifinal loss and went back to work in Saturday afternoon’s Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic third-place game.

Seeded third, the Spartans took home the bronze medal. They won pretty easily, keeping a double-digit lead throughout the second half and handling A.L. Brown, 45-32.

Junior guard Aubrey Garrison, who made the all-tournament team, provided more than half of the offense against the Wonders with 25 points.

Freshman guard Raegan McCarn added 11 for the Spartans.

Garrison’s teammates did a nice job of getting her the ball for high-percentage shots, while Central’s defense forced the Wonders, who were having a very cold-shooting day, to fire away from outside.

Central Davidson (10-4) led 27-8 at halftime.

The only time the game might have changed direction was early in the second half. The top-seeded Wonders, who entered the tournament 6-0 and exited 7-2, opened the half with buckets by Ayanni Flood and Sadie Faulkner to get back within 15, but after a timeout, Central Davidson regrouped and regained momentum.

Faulkner, an athletic guard, scored all of her 17 points in the second half, but Central Davidson was never in serious danger.

Garrison’s three-point play with 2:25 remaining put the Wonders away.

While West Rowan was able to speed Central Davidson up well past the Spartans’ comfort zone, A.L. Brown could not prevent the Spartans from making it mostly a half court game, and they are efficient in the half court. They proved that in Thursday morning’s breezy 65-40, first-round victory against East Rowan.

C. DAVIDSON — A. Garrison 25, McCarn 11, M. Garrison 3, Elliott 2, Shoaf 2, Trantham 2.

A.L. BROWN — Faulkner 17, Flood 8, Robinson 2, Stevens 2, Grier 2, Good-Roberts 1.