Wednesday’s Roundup: USA Basketball honors former Providence Day star Janelle Bailey

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↑Spartanburg Day at Gaston Day, Tuesday: Tuesday’s game at Gaston Day has been sold out. No more tickets will be sold. Why? Spartanburg Day features high-flying national recruit Zion Williamson, perhaps the most sought-after high school hooper since LeBron James.

↑Best of Carolina Holiday Classic: Big-time girls basketball tournament lands at Rocky River High Saturday. Four Observer Sweet 16 teams will play. Pairings below.

↑Big Shots Player Rankings: Big Shots has ranked more than 300 N.C. high school seniors. Click here for full rankings.

↑Hunter Yurachek, Providence Day: former Chargers basketball star and former Houston Cougars athletics director has been named AD at the University of Arkansas.

↑Janelle Bailey, Providence Day girls: former Chargers McDonald’s All-American, now at UNC freshman, was named 2017 USA Basketball female athlete of the year. Bailey led the 2017 USA Women’s team to a 7-0 record and a 3x3 U18 championship. She’s the first 3x3 player to win the athlete of the year award.

“It means the world to me to receive this award,” Bailey said. “Being a part of USA Basketball has been an extremely incredible opportunity that I’m truly grateful for. USA Basketball has allowed me to travel the world and build relationships with my teammates and coaches that I am thankful for. To be recognized as USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year is an honor, and I am humbled to be in the company of the other fantastic players that have won this award.”

Wednesday’s #BIG5 Performers

Savannah Brooks, Union Academy girls: 5-foot-8 freshman had a game-high 22 points in a 78-41 win over Monroe. Brooks has helped spark Union Academy to a 6-1 start. She is averaging 14 points, seven rebounds. Union Academy is trying to secure its first winning season since 2007-08.

Khalia Byers, Mountain Island Charter girls: 21 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, four steals in a 68-43 loss to Fort Mill Comenius.

Erin Cepeda, Fort Mill Comenius girls: 42 points, 12 steals, eight rebounds, seven blocks in a 68-43 win over Mountain Island Charter. Teammate Paola Martinez, a junior just added, finished with 20 points, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Cepeda, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, is being recruited by Liberty, Charleston, Belmont Abbey, Gorden College, Daemen College, Cincinnati Christian and Mid Atlantic Christian.

Destiny Johnson, Brianna Tadlock, East Lincoln girls: 22 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, one steal for Johnson in a 55-51 win over Statesville. Tadlock had 22 points, four rebounds.

Jai Rorie, Marshville Forest Hills: Rorie had a game-high 20 points in Wednesday’s 76-58 win over North Stanly. He’s made 24 3-point shots this season after making 132 last season. The 132 ranks fourth in NCHSAA history.

Wednesday’s Roundup

No. 7 Lincoln Charter 87, Cherryville 34: Lincoln Charter (7-0) jumped out to a 50-19 halftime lead in an easy win. Jehlon Johnson (13 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks), London England (17 points, eight rebounds, three assists) and Jackson Gabriel (five points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) had strong games for the Eagles.

No. 9 Marshville Forest Hills 76, North Stanly 58: Nas Tyson had 16 points and five rebounds and Jaleel McLaughlin had 15 points as Forest Hills rolled to a comfortable win. Bryson Childress had 20 for North Stanly (3-2). Forest Hills has a showdown with Union County rival Unionville Piedmont Saturday night at Wingate University. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte Country Day 52, Forsyth Country Day 49: The Bucs are off to one of their best starts in years, improving to 7-3 after the win. Rylan McLaurin (17 points, six assists, five steals), DeAngelo Epps (14 points, seven rebounds, six blocks) and Alex Tabor (11 points) led Country Day, hunting its first winning season since 2007-08. Forsyth (4-7) got 14 points from Chase Walter and 13 from Brendon Palmer.

East Lincoln 56, Statesville 45: Kabian McClendon had 14 points and Coleson Leach had 11 to lead East Lincoln (2-1) to its second straight win. Junior Sidney Dollar had eight points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the Mustangs. Statesville got 14 points from Izaiah Gathings.

Kings Mountain 64, Concord 59: In a battle of teams that were ranked in the Observer’s preseason Sweet 16, Kings Mountain rallied in the fourth quarter to win, outscoring Concrd 26-15 in the period. Nolan Raby led Kings Mountain (2-3) with 17 points. Zeke Littlejohn had 14 and Adrian Delph 10. Concord got 21 from Jackson Threadgill.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Wednesday’s Roundup: USA Basketball honors former Providence Day star Janelle Bailey."