Staff report

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan senior Evan Kennedy tied his career high with 26 points on Wednesday, as the Falcons beat East Rowan 59-45  in a South Piedmont Conference game.

“We played good tonight in some stretches,” West head coach Dadrian Cuthbertson said.

Kennedy had previously scored 26 against Carson in last season’s Christmas Tournament.

Kennedy had a shaky start to this basketball season, mostly because he was banged up late in the football season.

But he’s one of the county’s best athletes. In West’s last five games, he has averaged 17.4 points.

“He just had to get his basketball legs and get into basketball shape,” Cuthbertson said. “He had some catching up to do.”

Josiah Young helped Kennedy out with 12 points. Jalen Moten made two 3-pointers and scored 10.

West (3-9, 2-6) beat the Mustangs for the second time, but this time it was a league game that was more significant than the first meeting in a consolation game in the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic.

East (1-12, 1-6) was only down 25-20 at the half, but Kennedy scored 13 during West’s 25-point third quarter that provided separation for the Falcons.

“West is bigger, faster, stronger and older than us,” East coach Trey Ledbetter said. “And of all those things, older was probably the main thing. We showed our youth some, but we also did some good things. Aiden Lino really passed well. Logan Bradley probably had his best all-round game of the season. Freshman Jaden Eudy got bumped up this week and played solid.”

East Rowan   10   10   11   14   — 45

West Rowan    19  6    25   9     — 59

East — Bradley 10, Lino 8, Eudy 7, Thomas 7, Reid 4, Brent 4, Krider 3, Shive 2.

West — Kennedy 26, Young 12, Moten 10, Graham 5, Ford 3, Oglesby 2, Tucker 1.