Tuesday’s Rewind: No. 1 North Meck advances to semis, has lots of Meck. Co. company
There will be two Mecklenburg County teams in the N.C. 4A boys and girls state championship games this season.
Girls teams from Mallard Creek and Vance both won state quarterfinals to advance to Saturday’s regional championship game, or state semifinal, in Hickory. It will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Mallard Creek won two of the first three. Both teams play in the I-MECK 4A conference.
Saturday’s winner will advance to the N.C. 4A state championship game March 15 in Chapel Hill.
Mallard Creek has never reached the state finals. Vance won the 2003 state championship in its only appearance.
“We want to play Mallard Creek,” Vance coach Donnell Rhyne said. “Mallard Creek and Vance is a great rivalry like (North) Carolina-Duke. “I know....it’s going to be jam-packed. I’m looking forward to it. I started coaching in Mallard Creek under Erica Turner, I learned a lot from her. So, it’ll do my soul real well to beat (Mallard Creek coach Clarence Johnson) and go to the state championship.”
▪ On the boys side, I-MECK 4A champion North Mecklenburg beat Independence to reach Saturday’s regional final. The Vikings, No. 1 in the Sweet 16, will face Olympic.
Olympic will try to reach its first state final since winning the title in 2013. North Meck will try to reach the final for the first time since 2006.
▪ The regional finals will be held in Hickory. Sites and times will be announced Wednesday.
North Meck, Jeremy Gregory, move to state semifinals
Take away one of North Mecklenburg’s weapons, and the Vikings will beat you with another.
Independence’s aggressive zone defense largely shut down North Mecklenburg’s long-range shooting Tuesday night, but the Vikings did plenty of damage inside and rolled over the Patriots 77-54.
The victory, achieved before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,800 at Hough High, carried North Mecklenburg (29-1) into the 4A Western Regional final Saturday in Hickory against Olympic.
Independence (22-8) saw its realistic chances of upsetting the top-seeded Vikings evaporate when the Patriots’ season-long scoring leader, Anthony Allen, left the game late in the first quarter with an injury and didn’t return.
North Mecklenburg averages more than nine three-point field goals per game but made only one in the first half Tuesday and four for the game.
“They played a 3-2 zone and came out to defend us,” Vikings’ coach Duane Lewis said. “Fortunately, Jeremy got off to a strong start. We were able to get the ball inside.”
“Jeremy” is 6-7 sophomore center Jeremy Gregory, and he was more than Independence could handle – especially in the first half.
Gregory scored eight of his team’s 20 first-quarter points and had eight of the Vikings’ nine rebounds.
“Jeremy is still figuring things out, but he is getting better with every game,” Lewis said. “He will asserts himself on the inside, he can dominate.”
With Gregory in control, the Vikings raced to an 18-8 lead before the Patriots battled back to within 20-15 after the first period.
But Independence suffered a big loss with 2:30 left in the opening period, when Allen suffered an injury to his right ankle. He didn’t return, finishing with two points – 14.9 below his per-game average.
North Mecklenburg vaulted back to a 15-point lead (34-19) midway in the second quarter, but the Patriots closed to within 36-28 at the half.
“In the second half, we were able to get our offense going again,” Lewis said.
Tristan Maxwell hit three three-pointers in the third quarter, and No. 2 scorer Trayden Williams – held to two first-half points – came alive with 12 in the second half.
Independence closed to 41-34 with 5:30 left in the third quarter, but the Vikings outscored the Patriots 19-5 for the rest of the period and weren’t threatened again.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Jeremy Gregory, North Mecklenburg: The Vikings’ standout sophomore post player finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Nygell Verdier, Independence: A 6-5 senior forward, Verdier did his best to keep the Patriots in the game. He finished with 29 points.
Tristan Maxwell, North Mecklenburg: He had four of his team’s five three-pointers and finished with 23 points.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ The site for Saturday’s 4A Western Regional final likely will be announced Wednesday, but given the big crowd Tuesday night, it’s hard to imagine the game being placed anywhere other than Lenoir-Rhyne University.
▪ The Vikings shot only 33 percent from the floor in the first half (11-of-33) but steadied themselves, hitting nearly 50 percent (14-of-27) in the second half.
▪ Independence shot a bit over 40 percent, hitting 21-of-51.
▪ Tuesday’s result was remarkably similar to North Mecklenburg’s first meeting with Independence this season. The teams faced each other in a Nov. 19 season opener, with the Vikings winning 79-55.
▪ Tuesday’s game was moved from North Mecklenburg’s gym (seating capacity: about 1,000) to Hough (1,800), but it still drew a standing-room-only crowd. The only other option would have been one of the area’s college arenas, but officials from the schools said the cost of renting the arena at UNC Charlotte or Davidson would have made Tuesday’s game a losing proposition financially for host North Mecklenburg.
THEY SAID IT
“At this point in the season, all we can do is take shots in practice and try to stay sharp. That’s what we’ll do to prepare for Olympic.” – North Mecklenburg coach Duane Lewis.
WHAT’S NEXT
North Mecklenburg faces Olympic on Saturday for the 4A Western Regional title. Independence returns two starters from this year’s team, but coach Preston Davis lost all five starters a year ago, and the Patriots responded with a 22-8 season.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
Quick Links
Josh Banks, Olympic beat Northwest Guilford, advance to semifinals
Tuesday’s statewide quarterfinal scores; eastern, western regional championship schedule
Vance girls whip Providence, point to Mallard Creek
Mallard Creek girls stop Northwest Guilford with defense
Elevator
↑Saturday’s regional 4A boys final: North Meck and Olympic, both past state champions, will meet in the semifinals Saturday. The game will feature two of the best players in the state. North Meck 6-2 guard Tristan Maxwell has signed with Georgia Tech. Olympic’s 6-5 Josh Bnaks has signed with Virgnia Commonwealth.
↑Freedom: boys and girls teams will play to reach state finals Saturday
↓Pepper spray, fight halt 2A quarterfinal: Tuesday’s Reidsville/South Granville game in Creedmoor was stopped with 19 seconds left after a fight and after pepper spray was released inside the school gym. Players were cleared from the court with South Granville leading 72-66. The game will be resumed Thursday with no spectators.
↓Eastern regional semifinal called for fight: Tuesday’s Henderson Collegiate-Holmes game was called with 35 seconds left after a big fight broke out.
Tuesday’s #BIG5 Boys Top Performers
Josh Banks, Olympic: 31 points, seven rebounds in a N.C. 4A quarterfinal win over Northwest Guilford.
Jeremy Gregory, North Mecklenburg: Sophomore center had 14 points, 11 rebounds in quarterfinal win over Independence.
Tristan Maxwell, North Mecklenburg: four made 3-pointers and 23 pointers against Independence.
Alec Topper, Forest Hills: game-high 18 points in a 56-42 win over Mountain Heritage. Topper and Forest Hills (29-0) advanced to the regional finals for the fifth straight season.
Nygell Verdier, Independence: A 6-5 senior forward had game-high 29 points against North Meck.
Tuesday’s #BIG5 Girls Top Performers
Chyna Cornwell, Newton-Conover: 28 points in a 58-55 upset of East Burke. Newton-Conover (28-2) will now try to advance to first state final since 1992.
Jayda Glass, Freedom: 18 points in a 75-49 win over Enka in the regional semifinals. Teammates Josie Hise (17), Blaikley Crooks (16) and Adair Garrison (10) reached double figures in the win.
Riley Haas, East Burke: 28 points in the Newton-Conover loss.
Amhyia Moreland, Vance: Vance’s center scored all 16 of her points in the second half of a regional semifinal win at Providence to jump-start the Cougars’ explosive second half. Equally important, she was a defensive stopper in the lane.
Samyha Suffren, Mallard Creek: 21 points for the freshman guard in a 62-50 win over Northwest Guilford.
Tuesday’s Boys Summaries
OLYMPIC 69, NORTHWEST GUILFORD 61
Olympic 20 10 16 23 -- 69
Northwest Guilford 8 16 18 19 -- 61
OLYMPIC 69 -- Banks (31), Herd (13), Williams (13), Small (6), Greene (4), Golden (2)
NW GUILFORD 61 -- Hampton (17), Reiber (16), Marsh (10), Boulton (7), Thomas (4), Hartzell (3), Humphrey (2), Bailou (2)
FOREST HILLS 56, MOUNTAIN HERITAGE 42
Forest Hills -- 12 7 11 24 -- 56
Mountain Heritage -- 9 7 10 16 -- 42
Forest Hills -- Alec Topper 18, Jalen Huntley 11, Wright 9, Hester 7, Barbour 6, Barrier 5
Mountain Heritage -- Justus Shelton 13, Lucas Jenkins 11, Ledford 7, Randolph 4, Shehan 4, Higgins 3
Records: Forest Hills 29-0; Mountain Heritage 26-2
Notes: Forest Hills advances to the Final 4 for the 5th consecutive year.
Tuesday’s Girls Summaries
MALLARD CREEK 62, NW GUILFORD 50
Mallard Creek -- 13 11 15 23 -- 62
NW Guilford -- 14 8 17 11 -- 50
Mallard Creek -- S.Suffren 21, K.Simpson 17, N.Brown 12, L.Walker 7, H.Doctor 2, J.Creech 2,
NW Guilford -- R.Kargo 19, J.Murray 12, M.Harkey 5, A.Green 4, T.Carter 4, H.Baker 4, S.Riddles 2.
Notes: N.W. Guilford came to Charlotte and shook the Mavericks up for a second but the lady mavs woke up! Going into the half, the Mavericks were up only by 2 points, 24-22. Freshman Guard, Samyha Suffren goes for 21 points to lead the Mavericks to victory. Junior Guard, Kennedy Simpson is right behind her with 17 points and Senior Guard, Nevaeh Brown had 12 points. Although N.W. Guilford’s standout player R.Kargo lead her team with 19 it was not enough to beat the Mavericks as they pulled away and won 62-50. The Mallard Creek Lady Mavericks advance to the Final Four.
EAST BURKE 55, NEWTON CONOVER 58
East Burke -- 16 10 6 15 8 -- 55
Newton Conover -- 8 15 9 15 11 -- 58
East Burke -- Riley Haas 28, Aubrie Griggs 8, Gracie Ruff 6, Graleigh Hildebran 6, Zoie Smith 5, Ashlyn Stilwell 1, Allie Cooke 1
Newton conover -- Chyna Cornwell 28, Aaliah Walton 10, Grace Lofin 13, Jahlea Peters 4
Records: East Burke 27-4; Newton 28-2.
FREEDOM 75, ENKA 49
Enka 2 19 11 17 - 49
Freedom 15 23 15 22- 75
Enka 49 - Emily Carver 19, Hadleigh Dill 10, Daves 7, Cooley 2, Green 2, Jester 3, Dordiale 6, Lee, Phillips, Smith Adjaidoo.
Freedom 75 - Jayda Glass 18, Josie Hise 17, Blaikley Crooks 16, Adair Garrison 10, Tate 2, Hemphill 4, Rone 8, McGee, Kania, ONeil.
Notable: Freedom 29-0 will take on Southeast Guilford on Saturday
SE GUILFORD 53, CUTHBERSTON 50
SE Guilford -- 9 12 19 13 -- 53
Cuthberston -- 13 15 6 16 -- 50
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 11:10 PM.
