From staff reports
The East Rowan boys basketball team has found a way to win ó with defense.
ěWeíre a blue-collar team,î said Mustangs coach Trey Ledbetter after a 50-40 triumph against North Stanly in New London on Wednesday. ěWe had the lead from the beginning to the end. We got some turnovers.î
East got a great performance from senior Hakeem Gittens, who finished with 10 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.
ěHe played out of his mind,î Ledbetter said.
East (2-4) was led by Jared Hough, who had 13 points. Jordan Shepherd pitched in with eight.
ěThis team is hard-nosed,î Ledbetter said.
East has already exceeded last seasonís victory total.
n Eastís girls were drilled 82-32 by the Comets and fell to 0-6.
ěWe were lackluster on defense and we had too many unwarranted turnovers,í East coach Danielle Porter said. ěWhat weíre doing in practice just isnít translating over to the games right now.î
Kelli Fisherís 12 points provided the bright spot for the Mustangs. Lauren Thomas had eight.
Holli Chandler and Brittany Burleson poured in 21 points apiece for the Comets.
The Mustangs are home against Northwest Cabarrus on Friday.
BOYS
E. ROWAN (50) óHough 13, Gittens 10, Shepherd 8, Gobble 6, Rogers 4, Holmes 4, LíHommedieu 3, Honeycutt 2, Means.
N. STANLY (40) ó Thomas 15, Smith 10, Wright 4, Neal 4, Rowell 3, Williams 2, Oglesby 2.
E. Rowan 13 14 13 10 ó 50
N. Stanly 12 9 12 7 ó 40
GIRLS
E. ROWAN (32) ó Fisher 12, Thomas 8, Wike 5, Fry 3, Gullett 2, Poole 2, Gobble, Brown, Rummage, Sides. Lowe.
N. STANLY (82) ó Chandler 21, B. Burleson 21, Grubb 10, Speight 7, L. Burleson 6, Deeck 6, Caple 5, Noll 3, Poolos 2, Hough 1
E. Rowan 10 12 8 2 ó 32
N. Stanly 22 21 22 17 ó 82
n Davie boys roll
Davieís boys basketball team beat Alexander Central 83-64 in Taylorsville on Wednesday.
Davie (4-1) got 31 points from Nate Jones and a career-best 26 from Caleb Martin.
Cody Martin had 13 points and eight rebounds. Shannon Dillard chipped in with eight points, and Davis Absher had seven assists.
Alexander Central is 3-2, with both losses coming to the War Eagles.
Davie is home against West Rowan on Friday.
n Prep hoops
Carson split a doubleheader on the road at Hickory Ridge on Wednesday.
Carsonís boys lost 61-54, but the Carson girls (6-0) stayed unbeaten with a 44-29 victory.
n South Rowan plays at Mount Pleasant tonight. The varsity girls game should start at 6 p.m.
n North Rowan and Salisburyís varsity basketball teams will play a doubleheader at Catawbaís Goodman Gym on Saturday.
The girls game should start around 6:30 p.m., following the Catawba menís game. Admission for the prep doubleheader is $6.
n The Sam Moir Christmas Classic will include the six Rowan schools and Davie County and is set for Goodman Gym on Dec. 27-29.
There will be six games each day, beginning at noon. Daily admission is $7. Admission for ages 5-12 is $3. Age 5 and under get in free.
The only passes honored are NCHSAA, Gold Card and N.C. Official.
Tournament seeds, as always, will be based on pre-Christmas tournament won-lost records, not rankings or past performances.
Championship games are on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Salisburyís girls have won eight straight titles, while Salisburyís boys have won four in a row.
Tuesdayís North girls box
N. ROWAN (46) ó Cuthbertson 11, Brown 8, Bush 7, Sells 6, Rincon 5, Robinson 4, Bradley 3, Carter 1, Vann 1, Lingle, Dickerson.
W. MONTGOMERY (48) ó Dumas 15, Lindsay 10, Nicholson 9, Cuthrell 8, Covington 2, Waddell 2, Diggs 2.
N. Rowan 16 9 13 8 ó 46
W. Montgomery 10 13 14 11 ó 48
n Wingateís Lowe honored
Wingate senior guard Austin Lowe was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division II football second team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Lowe, who started two years for the Bulldogs, earned Academic All-America honors for the first time and is the third Wingate football student-athlete to receive Academic All-America laurels.
In November, Lowe was named to the Capital One Academic All-Super Region 2 team.
ěAustin Lowe is solid,î Wingate head coach Joe Reich said. ěHe is a salt-of-the-Earth kind of guy who brings smarts and toughness to the table. Austin brings the same attitude to practice every day. He is a great leader.î
Lowe received his undergraduate degree (accounting) in May and finished his academic career with a 3.69 GPA. He is currently enrolled in Wingateís Master of Accounting program.
n Sacred Heart hoops
Sacred Heartís varsity girls defeated Hickory Christian 31-15 on Tuesday.
Annie Habeeb led the Dolphins (2-0) with 11 points. Caroline Parrott scored six, and Kaytee Leonguerrero and Kate Sullivan had five apiece.
n Sacred Heartís varsity boys lost 41-28 to Hickory Christian.
Joseph Harrison scored 14 points for the Dolphins (5-7), who trailed by two at halftime. Reilly Gokey scored six points. Bryan Reid was a defensive standout.
n Sacred Heart hosts the Paul Mendez Memorial Christmas Tournament this weekend with opening games Friday night and consolation and championship games on Saturday. Besides the host team, Community School of Davidson, Southlake Christian, Covenant Christian and Palisades Episcopal are participating.
n Sacred Heartís jayvee girls defeated Hickory Christian 19-6.
Mary Sobataka had nine points in the win, and Julia Honeycutt scored six.
n Catawba tennis
Catawbaís womenís tennis program announced the signing of Elizabeth Renteria (Miramar, Fla.), Lauren Sledd (Roanoke, Va.) and Rachel Rudisill (Gastonia).
n Prep tennis
North Rowanís Dakota Honeycutt was named to the All-YVC girls tennis team.
n Local golf
Davis Richards scored an ace at the No. 12 hole at Duke University Golf Club on Sunday.
He hit a 52-degree wedge from 128 yards. It was his second hole-in- one but his first in competition. Both holes-in-one were witnessed by his grandfather Wade Lowder.