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WCNC, Channel 36: Last week's first basketball "Friday Night Frenzy" was cool. The second runs tonight during the 11 o'clock news and highlights winter sports, giving those kids similar recognition to football. It's about time.
Weather: Aren't you glad the ice is finally melting?
Butler: Boys will play Winston-Salem Reynolds at Time Warner Cable Arena Saturday at 2. Bulldogs coach Kurt Wessler is selling discounted tickets that are also good for Bobcats-Hornets Saturday night at 7. Info? kurt.wessler@cms.k12.nc.us)
Injuries: Two of the area's top players are out with them. Davidson Day's Phillip Anglade is out for the season (torn ACL in knee). United Faith's Peter Jurkin (stress fracture in lower leg) is out until February.
Tonight's Best Games
No.10 Vance (8-4, 3-2) at No.1 West Charlotte (11-1, 5-0), 7:45 p.m.: The Lions lead Vance by two games and they're up on North Meck and Mooresville by one game in the bunched-up I-MECK 4A standings. Vance is just 3-3 after a 5-1 start. This game could be low scoring. The Lions give up less than 50 points per game. Vance allows 58.1.
West Mecklenburg (6-6, 1-1 MEGA 7) at No.2 Olympic (15-1, 4-0), 7:45 p.m.: The Trojans rallied from 17 points down to beat Waddell last week. West Meck has won three of four games and has three double-figure scorers: Terrence Williams (17.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Jerod Wallace (12.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Julius Hamilton (11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg). The girls' game also is key. Harding (10-4, 4-0) leads the league, but Olympic (8-4, 3-1) and Catholic (7-6, 3-1) are tied for second, just ahead of West Meck (11-2, 2-1).
Myers Park (7-7, 3-2 Southwestern 4A) at Rocky River (11-3, 3-2): First-year Rocky River is tied for third place in the Southwestern 4A with Myers Park. The loser could fall three games out of first place so this is a big game to keep conference title hopes alive.
With Gaston County schools out today, tonight's East Gaston at Waddell game has been postponed, athletic director Phil Williams said. The MEGA 7 conference game will be rescheduled.
Charlotte Christian (13-2) plays in the Burger King Classic today and Saturday in Erie, Pa. The Knights, No.3 in the Sweet 16, play Cathedral Prep (4-6) tonight at 8:30.
Other Mecklenburg Matchups:
Providence at Ardrey Kell; Independence at Butler; South Meck at East Meck; Garinger at Harding; North Meck at Hopewell; Hough at Mallard Creek; Cuthbertson at Berry; West Meck at Olympic; Waxhaw Cuthbertson at Berry; Country Day at Ral. Ravenscroft; North Hills at Davidson Day; Covenant Day at Hickory Grove; Northside at Southlake; Queens Grant at Lake Norman Charter; United Faith at Statesville Christian.
Hot Players
Abrea Harris, Harding girls: 14 points, 14 assists, six steals and four rebounds against West Meck last week. Harding has sole possession of first place in the MEGA 7. Harris averages 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 4.1 assists. She leads Harding in every category.
Jerrin Morrison, East Mecklenburg: The Eagles are 2-12 after losing 90 percent of its scoring and 80 percent of its rebounding from last year's team, but Morrison has been a star. He averages 16 points and seven rebounds while playing power forward at only 6-2. He started at quarterback for the Eagles JV team before moving up to varsity and leading East to two wins.
Laquisha Taylor, Independence girls: Sophomore had 34 points last week in a 59-44 win against Garinger. Taylor averages 19 points and nearly four rebounds for the Patriots (5-9, 3-2 Southwestern 4A). Independence won one conference game last season.
Notes
After an 0-5 start, Providence's girls have won seven of nine games and upset previously unbeaten West Meck to win the West Meck Christmas Tournament along the way. Providence (7-8, 3-2 Southwestern 4A) plays at rival Ardrey Kell (11-3, 4-1). An upset would move Providence into second place in the conference. Casey Rieger, who scored two points in her first two games, now averages a team-high 11.4 points. She averages nearly nine rebounds per game.
United Faith (15-3) is ranked No.37 in ESPN's national poll.
