Staff report

CONCORD — East Rowan’s girls basketball team entered Tuesday’s game trailing Concord in the South Piedmont Conference standings, but left Rimer Gym with some optimism.

The Mustangs (7-7, 3-4) led all the way, handled the Spiders (5-9, 3-4) without too much difficulty and rolled 73-52.

East had not scored more than 51 points in a game all season, but shot exceptionally well from long range and from the foul line.

Mary Church scored a season-high 20 for the Mustangs. She made one 3-pointer, but most of her points came from attacking the rim. She had some acrobatic finishes, and she made seven free throws.

Hannah Waddell swished five 3-pointers and scored 17.

Sadie Featherstone and Savannah Wise shot the ball well and combined for another 15. Izzy Stepp made a 3-pointer off an inbounds play.

Church got the Mustangs started with two early layups —Lilly Kluttz made a nice pass on the first one — and Waddell’s first 3-pointer gave the Mustangs a 15-5 lead.

Kluttz ended the first quarter and began the second quarter with baseline buckets, but Concord settled in and cut East’s lead to 19-15 with 5:30 left in the first half.

Waddell made key shots at that juncture. She hit two 3-pointers to push East’s lead back to eight. Church had a driving, three-point play, and the Mustangs finished the half with a flurry of free throws for a 36-22 lead.

Concord made it a single-digit game a few times in the third quarter, but couldn’t get closer than a nine-point deficit.

East took a 13-point lead to the fourth quarter and pulled away when Kady Collins scored six consecutive points.

Kaylin Williams and Myajah Nix combined for 30 for the Spiders.

East           17     19     17    20    — 73

Concord    5      17      18    12     — 52

EAST — Church 20, Waddell 17, S. Featherstone 8, Wise 7, Kluttz 6, Collins 6, Stepp 3, J. Featherstone 2, Miller 2, I.Smith 2.

CONCORD — Williams 16, Nix 14, Blue 8, Taylor 7, Nebrich 4, K. Smith 3.