Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan’s boys basketball team ended a three-game skid with an emphatic 74-38 win against South Rowan on Senior Night.

“We shared the ball, played well,” West coach Dadrian Cuthbertson said.

Tuesday’s victory pushed the Falcons (12-10, 8-7) back above the break-even mark in the South Piedmont Conference. West can finish fourth in the league (the Falcons swept Carson) if it can win at Northwest Cabarrus Friday on the Trojans’ Senior Night. West lost the first meeting with Northwest.

Seniors Will Givens (17 points), Kayvone Norman (14) and Elijah Holmes (13) led the Falcons to victory.

Givens had an explosive, 12-point first quarter to get West started.

Zion Jackson scored 13 for the Raiders, while Aaron Jones had eight.

South (0-22, 0-15) has lost 44 straight.

WEST — Givens 17, Norman 14, Holme 13, Graham 8, Martin 8, T. Walker 6, Kennedy 4, Lindon 2, Young 2.

SOUTH — Jackson 13, Jones 8, Blackwell 4, Overcash 4, Ritchie 4, Young 3, Littlejohn 2.

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LEXINGTON — Had North Rowan’s boys basketball team been able to finish it off on Tuesday, it may have been the Cavaliers’ best win of the season.

But the Cavaliers didn’t finish.

Lexington rallied from an 11-point deficit and beat North 75-71 in a fierce Central Carolina Conference game played on the Yellow Jackets’ Senior Night.

George Maxwell took charge early for the Cavaliers. He had a 3-pointer and a three-point play as the Cavaliers jumped out 12-6. They still led 18-12 after a quarter.

Lexington got back even early in the second quarter, but North answered that run. When Amir Alexander made two free throws to conclude the first-half scoring, the Cavaliers led 35-28.

North led 43-32 when Alexander made a technical free throw with 5:45 left in the third quarter. Lexingt0n looked frustrated at that point, but then the Yellow Jackets got a shots to drop. By the end of the quarter, Lexington was surging and North Rowan’s lead had been sliced to 54-52.

Maxwell scored on an offensive rebound with 2:30 left for a 67-64 North lead, but Lexington tied it, went ahead, and then suddenly went up two possession at 71-67 when Tyliek Henry made a 3-pointer to cap a mini-run of 7-0.

With North down 73-69 with 1:47 left, Jaemias Morrow made a steal that resulted in a Jo Jo Tarver-to-Alexander layup.

Down 73-71, North had a chance to tie, but Jayden Polk caught a pass in the lane, surrounded by aggressive defenders. North could have used a friendly whistle, but Polk was called for a walk.

With North still trailing 73-71 in the frantic final seconds, Morrow anticipated the passing lane and leapt in front of a Yellow Jacket for another steal. He tried to drive a long way to finish it himself, but he missed on a short pull-up. Lexington got the rebound and then sealed the victory at the foul line.

Alexander scored 23 points. Maxwell had 18 and Polk 12 for North (12-10, 6-4).

The Cavaliers made only two 3-pointers. That hurt. They shot 17-for-27 at the foul line.

For Lexington (13-9, 9-2), Kimari McDonald had 17, Jaylen Henderson 15, Rahzel Ewart 14 and Henry 10.

North Rowan     18    17    19    17   — 71

Lexington           12    16   24    23   — 75

NORTH — Alexander 23, Maxwell 18, Polk 12, Tarver 8, Morrow 5, Charleston 2, Carpenter 2, Alford 1.

LEXINGTON — McDonald 17, Henderson 15, Ewart 14, Henry 10, Luketa 9, Gyabaah 4, Holmes 2, Blyden 2, Wafford 2.