Staff report

SPENCER — North Rowan’s girls basketball team beat Salisbury 43-32 in a defensive-minded Senior Night struggle on Friday.

North held the Hornets to a season-low point total in a victory that meant a season sweep of their biggest rival, an outright 1A/2A Central Carolina Conference title and an undefeated league season.

North (21-3, 12-0) also has been awarded a forfeit for a game scheduled for Jan. 3 against East Davidson that was never played.

It’s only North’s third regular-season conference championship in program history.

It’s the second time North has gone undefeated in its league. The first time was the 2020-21 team that went 8-0 in the 1A Yadkin Valley Conference during the COVID season. North seniors Bailee Goodlett, Brittany Ellis and Bloom Goodlett were freshmen on that team, which also featured Hannah Wilkerson, Kamora Cannie, Makiya McDaniel and Chloee Stoner.

Bailee Goodlett scored 21 points to lead the Cavaliers to victory on Friday, while Krisstyle Stockton had a 12-point effort that was about triple her normal offensive production. Stockton made the difference on a night when the Hornets held Ellis to seven points and Dasia Elder to three.

North has a bye for the first round of the conference tournament and will return to action in the semifinals at Thomasville on Wednesday at 6 p.m., North will play the winner of Monday’s Lexington-West Davidson game.

As the No. 2 seed for the tournament, Salisbury (16-6, 10-2) will host No. 7 seed Thomasville on Monday at 6 p.m.

Salisbury     8     6     10    8   — 32

North          10    13   10   10  — 43

SHS — TBA

NORTH — Bailee Goodlett 21, Stockton 12, Ellis 7, Elder 3.