No Knightmares for East Lincoln on Friday. Mustangs run away from Lake Norman Charter
Coming off an upset loss to Newton-Conover on Tuesday, East Lincoln had to go to Lake Norman Charter on Friday and try to stop a team that had a nine-game win streak. And East Lincoln had to try to do it in front of a rowdy Knights’ crowd that calls themselves the “Knightmare.”
A loss would have seriously damaged East Lincoln’s conference title hopes, if not eliminated it.
A win for Lake Norman Charter would’ve put the Knights in excellent position to win the South Fork 2A league and complete the season sweep over East Lincoln, a team Lake Norman Charter beat 60-55 last month.
East Lincoln led 32-24 at halftime but simply ran away from Lake Norman Charter in the second half for a surprisingly dominant 67-37 win. East Lincoln held Lake Norman Charter to 22 points in the final three quarters.
Justin Kuthan had 20 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for East Lincoln. Myles Adams had 20 points, and Evan Montanari added 17 points and four rebounds.
East Lincoln’s big win creates a tight race for the league title.
Lake Norman Charter (12-4, 7-1) is just one game in front of East Lincoln (14-4, 6-2), Newton-Conover (12-6, 6-2) and North Lincoln (11-5, 6-2) in a suddenly tight league-title race.
Friday’s Elevator
↑South Mecklenburg girls junior varsity: We don’t normally cover JV in this space, but the Sabres improved to 11-0 Friday and haven’t lost in five years.
↑Drake Maye, Myers Park: Had 33 points, 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a win over Porter Ridge Wednesday. He made 12-of-19 field goals and 9-of-11 free throws. Maye had 11 points in Friday’s 85-19 win over Garinger, Myers Park’s fifth win in a row.
↑Tanajah Hayes, Vance girls: Broke the school record for steals in Friday’s 47-36 upset of Sweet 16 No. 1 Mallard Creek. No. 4 Vance got 14 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds from Hayes, and 11 points, six rebounds, three assists from Leah Barringer.
↑Jeremiah Murphy, Queens Grant: Scored his 1,000th point in an 86-43 win over Langtree Charter. He finished with 27 points, nine assists.
↑Colin Fayed, Gaston Day: Freshman hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift his team to a 67-66 win over Hickory Grove. AJ Smith had 33 for Hickory Grove. Chris Britt (18 points), Dean Hunter (15), Zach Clark (11) and Callum Richard (11) led Gaston Day.
↑Josh Banks, Olympic: 26 points in a 55-54 win over Harding. He scored his 1,500th career point in the game. He made the game-winning free throw with one second left.
Saturday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Sam Cogan, Lincoln Charter: 29 points, six rebounds, two assists in a 69-39 win over Trinity-Byrnes (SC). Troy Fulton added 18 points for Lincoln Charter (17-2).
Anjay Cortez, United Faith: 15 points, eight rebounds, four blocks four steals in a 75-64 win over Charlotte Christian.
Mallorie Haines, Davidson Day girls: 25 points, six rebounds in a 57-37 loss to Rabun Gap.
Josh Massey, United Faith: 22 points, six rebounds, three assists in a 75-64 win over Charlotte Christian. Teammates Cedric Patterson (15 points, seven assists) also had big a game. Peter Lash had 21 for Christian.
Ryan Swilling, Charlotte Christian girls: team-high 18 points in a 68-31 win over United Faith.
Saturday’s Scores
BOYS
Carmel Christian 77, Marion (SC) 63
Lincoln Charter 69, Trinity-Byrnes (SC) 39
United Faith 75, Charlotte Christian 64
GIRLS
Charlotte Christian 68, United Faith 31
Rabun Gap 57, Davidson Day 37
Friday Notes
▪ Central Cabarrus’ girls beat Cox Mill 57-56 in overtime Friday, getting four players in double figures: Aniyah Tate (13), Ja’el Miller (12), Mariah Barrie (12) and Imari Knight (12). The win gave Central sole possession of first place in the South Piedmont Conference. Next up is a date with conference No. 2 Northwest Cabarrus on Tuesday.
▪ No. 1 North Meck had a huge offensive performance Friday, beating Mooresville 103-72. North Meck scored 24 or more points in all four quarters. Tristan Maxwell had 23 points, Chris Ford, who was honored for scoring 1,000 career points, scored 21 Friday to go with 10 rebounds. Jeremy Gregory had 15, and Trayden Williams and Jordan Crawford had 12 each. Williams also had eight assists and three steals.
▪ South Mecklenburg’s girls beat Ardrey Kell 42-29 Friday to win their sixth in a row. Katie Lowe was a defensive catalyst. Jackie Feit (12 points, 10 rebounds) had a double-double.
▪ Myers Park’s girls got 25 points from Taylor Henderson and beat Garinger 77-11. The Mustangs (12-6, 8-0 Southwestern 4A) won their fifth consecutive game. Next Friday, Myers Park faces Butler (11-7, 7-1) in a game that could decide the league title, particularly if the Mustangs win.
▪ Charlotte Catholic’s girls, South Meck’s boys and Charlotte Christian’s boys got big upsets Friday. Catholic’s girls, No. 14 in the Sweet 16, upset No. 3 Cuthbertson 51-46. Catholic (13-4, 8-1) moved into a tie for first place with Cuthbertson (17-2, 8-1) in the Southern Carolinas conference.
Christian (13-8, 3-3 CISAA) upset Charlotte Latin (17-6, 4-2) on the road. Christian’s win knocked Latin two games behind Cannon (20-6, 6-0) in the league-title race.
South Meck took down No. 5 Ardrey Kell 70-66 on a night when the school honored former state championship coach Dave Price.
▪ Lake Norman’s Cam Kepley hit two free throws with his team down one point to lift Lake Norman past West Charlotte in triple OT. Kepley had 21 points. Seth Aeschliman had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
▪ Concord’s Magnus Swinger had 29 points, nine rebounds in a 66-60 win over Northwest Cabarrus. He was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and was 3-of-3 from the field late in the fourth quarter of a close game.
Friday’s Girls #BIG5 Top Performers
Miracle Jackson, Sugar Creek Charter: 22 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and two assists in a 62-18 win over Cabarrus Charter.
Reigan Richardson, Cannon School: 33 points in a 63-55 win over Charlotte Country Day. Cannon (13-7, 5-1 CISAA) maintained its hold on second place in the CISAA alone. Country Day dropped to 16-6, 3-3.
Madison Skinner, Providence: Career-high 14 points in a 67-39 win over West Meck. Teammates Nyla McGill (17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals) and Amari Davis (16 points, seven rebounds) had big games.
Jessica Timmons, Nye’mah Smith, North Mecklenburg: In an 80-42 win over Mooresville, Timmons had 30 points and five assists. Smith added 10 points, six assists and three steals. North Meck hit 13 3-point shots in the win.
Jimena Vazquez, Forestview: 16 points, 20 rebounds, four blocks in a 70-56 win over Crest. Kenzley Dunlap had 20 points, eight assists and three steals.
Friday’s Boys #BIG5 Top Performers
Trae Benham, First Assembly: 31 points, three rebounds in a 70-37 win over High Point Wesleyan. First Assembly improved to 27-3.
Sam Cogan, Lincoln Charter: 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two assists in a 77-62 win over Bessemer City. Troy Fultom (19 points, 6-of-11 3s), Anthony Davis (20 points, six rebounds, two assists) and Axel Holm (10 points, six rebounds, four assists) had big games.
Nate Chambers, Hough: 22 points, 10 rebounds in a 59-46 win over Hopewell. Beau Maye added 13 points, nine rebounds for the Huskies (13-5, 5-3 I-MECK)
Lane Harrill, Cherryville: 33 points, 12 rebounds in a 67-66 win over Christ the King. Harrill scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including making three free throws after being fouled attempting a 3-point shot with 14 seconds left. Later he made a pull-up jumper for the win. Cherryville was down four points with 16 seconds left.
Drew Patterson, Metrolina Christian: 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals in a 64-51 win over SouthLake Christian. Patterson was honored at halftime for scoring his 1,000th career point at a holiday tournament last month.
How the boys Sweet 16 fared
Rk. | School (CL) | Rec | Friday |
1. | North Mecklenburg (4A) | 16-1 | d. Mooresville 103-72 |
2. | Davidson Day (IND) | 22-1 | idle |
3. | First Assembly (IND) | 27-3 | d. Wesleyan Christian 70-37 |
4. | Cannon School (IND) | 20-6 | d. Country Day 71-44 |
5. | Ardrey Kell (4A) | 14-4 | lost 70-66 to South Meck |
6. | Vance (4A) | 15-3 | d. Mallard Creek 61-54 |
7. | Forest Hills | 17-0 | vs. Anson Sr, ppd |
8. | Carmel Christian (IND) | 19-5 | idle |
9. | Freedom (3A) | 16-1 | d. St. Stephens 103-64 |
10. | Cox Mill (3A) | 16-2 | d. Central Cabarrus 84-62 |
11. | West Caldwell (2A) | 17-0 | d. Newton Foard 68-57 |
12. | Hunter Huss (3A) | 15-2 | d. North Gaston 97-74 |
13. | Olympic (4A) | 13-5 | d. Harding 55-54 |
14. | Charlotte Catholic (3A) | 15-3 | d. Cuthbertson 55-44 |
15. | Lincoln Charter (1A) | 14-2 | d. Bessemer City 77-62 |
16. | Northside Christian (IND) | 19-6 | vs. Gaston Christian 85-43 |
Friday’s Boys Scores
AL Brown 68, Robinson 54
Charlotte Catholic 55, Cuthbertson 44
Charlotte Christian 56, Charlotte Latin 51
Cherryville 67, Christ The King 66
Concord 66, Northwest Cabarrus 60
Covenant Day 49, Providence Day 35
East Burke 66, Bunker Hill 54
East Lincoln 67, Lake Norman Charter 37
First Assembly 70, Wesleyan Christian 37
Freedom 103, St. Stephens 64
Hickory Ridge 59, Independence 48
Hough 59, Hopewell 46
Lake Norman 69, West Charlotte 68, 3 OT (score NA)
Lincoln Charter 77, Bessemer City 62
Metrolina Christian 64, SouthLake Christian 51
Myers Park 85, Garinger 19
North Mecklenburg 103, Mooresville 72
North Davidson 81, South Rowan 37
North Lincoln 70, West Lincoln 30
Northside Christian 85, Gaston Christian 43
Olympic 55, Harding 54
Pine Lake Prep 76, Community School of Davidson 71
Porter Ridge 76, East Meck 72
Queens Grant 86, Langtree Charter 43
R-S Central 81, East Rutherford 68
Shelby 65, East Gaston 40
South Meck 70, Ardrey Kell 66
Sun Valley 65, Parkwood 45
United Faith 56, Woodlawn 35
Vance 61, Mallard Creek 54
West Caldwell 68, Foard 57
West Mecklenburg 54, Providence 50 OT
West Rowan 67, Carson 51
Weddington 83, Monroe 58
LATE THURSDAY
Davidson Day 76, Gaston Day 47
First Assembly 76, Gaston Christian 53
Lake Norman 68, West Rowan 58
Myers Park 78, Porter Ridge 74
Rocky River 57, Butler 52
HOW GIRLS SWEET 16 FARED
Rk. | School (CL) | Rec | Friday |
1. | Mallard Creek (4A) | 14-2 | lost 47-36 to Vance |
2. | Freedom (4A) | 18-0 | d. St. Stephens 66-17 |
3. | Cuthbertson (3A) | 16-2 | lost 51-46 to Charlotte Catholic |
4. | Vance (4A) | 14-4 | d. Mallard Creek 47-36 |
5. | East Burke (2A) | 14-3 | d. Bunker Hill 57-42 |
6. | Salisbury (2A) | 16-1 | d. Lexington 58-20 |
7. | Carson (3A) | 15-3 | lost 70-67 to West Rowan, 2 OT |
8. | Providence (4A) | 15-2 | d. West Meck 56-39 |
9. | West Rowan (3A) | 14-1 | d. Carson 70-67, 2 OT |
10. | Shelby (2A) | 13-1 | d. East Gaston 69-20 |
11. | South Mecklenburg (4A) | 12-3 | d. Ardrey Kell 42-29 |
12. | Victory Christian (IND) | 18-6 | d. North Hills Christian |
13. | North Mecklenburg (4A) | 13-4 | d. Mooresville 80-42 |
14. | Charlotte Catholic (3A) | 12-4 | d. Cuthertson 51-46 |
15. | Newton-Conover (2A) | 15-2 | d. Lincolnton 71-17 |
16. | East Rowan (3A) | 14-3 | d. Statesville 55-30 |
Friday’s Girls Scores
AL Brown 54, JM Robinson 47
Bandys 61, Maiden 41
Cannon 63, Country Day 55
Central Cabarrus 57, Cox Mill 56
Charlotte Catholic 51, Cuthbertson 46
Charlotte Latin 47, Charlotte Christian 43
Christ The King 64, Cherryville 27
Community School of Davidson 58, Pine Lake Prep 27
East Burke 57, Bunker Hill 42
East Lincoln 50, Lake Norman Charter 32
East Rowan 55, Statesville 30
First Assembly 51, Wesleyan Christian 27
Forestview 70, Crest 56
Freedom 66, St. Stephens 17
Gaston Day 51, Hickory Groe 34
Hopewell 60, Hough 49
Independence 50, Hickory Ridge 37
Lake Norman 83, West Charlotte 38
Metrolina Christian 67, SouthLake 19
Myers Park 77, Garinger 11
North Davidson 56, South Rowan 46
North Meck 80, Mooresville 42
Parkwood 54, Sun Valley 35
Providence 67, West Meck 39
Providence Day 70, Covenant Day 22
Salisbury 58, Lexington 20
Shelby 69, East Gaston 20
South Mecklenburg 42, Ardrey Kell 29
Sugar Creek Charter 62, Cabarrus Charter 18
Uwharrie Charter 56, North Rowan 50
Weddington 59, Monroe 18
West Rowan 70, Carson 67, 2 OT
LATE THURSDAY
Butler 75, Rocky River 33
Davidson Day 58, Hickory Christian 25
First Assembly 75, Gaston Day 10
Queens Grant 73, United Faith 52
LATE WEDNESDAY
Davidson Day 63, Gaston Day 57
Lake Norman 66, Hough 47
Myers Park 72, Porter RIdge 42
Saturday’s Schedule
Nonconference
Charlotte Christian at United Faith Christian
Davidson Day at Rabun Gap (GA)-Nacoochee
Combine Academy, Liberty Heights compete in Hartsville (SC) Phenom Hoops Showcase
Lincoln Charter competes in Great Falls (SC) Phenom Hoops Showcase
Moravian Prep vs. Scott Depot (WV) Teays Valley Christian, in FCA Classic, at Bristol, Va.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 10:57 PM.
