HS Rewind: West Charlotte shakes off rust, stops Vance in I-MECK showdown
West Charlotte ran out to a big early lead against Vance in an I-MECK conference showdown, then held off a Cougars’ comeback attempt Thursday.
West Charlotte, which won 59-50, led by 13 points after the first quarter.
Vance outscored the Lions 32-23 over the next two quarters to get back into the game, but the Lions got interior defense from Donovan Raymond, and Chance Morrow and Ollie Alford combined for 37 points in the win.
Daniel Sanford led Vance with 19.
Richardson leads Cannon girls to first CISAA title
Georgia recruit Reigan Richardson has stacked together several terrific performance in her senior year at Cannon School.
She saved her best for one of the biggest games in school history.
Richardson led Cannon to a 76-63 win over Charlotte Country Day Thursday that sealed the school’s first-ever CISAA championship, and Richardson had a stat line that will make her college coaches happy: 49 points, 11 rebounds and 11 steals.
Cannon (15-5, 9-0) trailed 33-26 at halftime but used a 23-12 run in the third quarter to take control.
Country Day (9-4, 7-2) got 15 points from Hudson Rixham, 14 from Brooklin Ingram and 12 from Sophie Rucker.
Thursday’s Boys #BIG5 Top Performers
Donovan Atwell, Davidson Day: 20 points, nine rebounds, five steals in a 84-34 win over Statesville Christian.
Graham Calton, Charlotte Latin: 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists in a 51-50 win over Covenant Day. Chase Montgomery, a senior, hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to help Latin, No. 6 in the Sweet 16, avoid an upset.
Javian Cannady, Concord Academy: 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 71-63 win over Northside Christian in the MAC semifinals. Concord Academy will play Westminster Catawba in the MAC Championship game Friday. Tyler Fearne (18 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks) and Trae Benham (16 points, scored 2,000th career point) had strong games.
Chase Lowe, Weddington: 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals in a 70-25 win over Marvin Ridge. Lowe became the sixth player in school history to score 1,000 career points and he was the first to do it in his junior year.
Chance Morrow, West Charlotte: game-high 23 points in a 59-50 win over Vance.
Thursday’s Girls #BIG5 Top Performers
Nevaeh Farmer, North Mecklenburg: 17 points, five rebounds, five assists in a 69-44 win over Hough.
Ella Hobbs, JM Robinson: Game-high 21 points in a 55-42 win over Central Cabarrus.
Mila Holloway, Covenant Day: freshman had 20 points, a game-high, in a 51-41 win over Charlotte Latin.
Reigan Richardson, Cannon girls: 49 points, 11 rebounds, 11 steals in a 76-63 wn over Charlotte Country Day to seal the school’s first CISAA title.
Layla Wall, Hopewell: In just her second game back from a broken arm, Wall led Hopewell to a 61-58 upset over 4A state power Mallard Creek. She had a team-high 17 points and made 10-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Thursday’s Boys Boxscores
NO. 2 CANNON SCHOOL 86, CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 47
Cannon-26-22-25-13 -- 86
Country Day-8-14-12-13 -- 47
CANNON SCHOOL 86 -- Jaylen Claggett-16 pts, Karon Boyd-15 pts 10 rebounds, Jarvis Moss-15 pts, Austin Swartz-14, Elijah Ormiston-11 pts 5 rebounds, Christian Reeves-8 pts 11 rebounds, Marques Walker- 5 pts, Tyler Green -2 pts
COUNTRY DAY 47 -- Luke Gardner- 13 pts, Cameron Ray- 10 pts, Jordan Erwin- 8 pts, Spencer Mermans- 4 pts, Russell Tabor- 4 pts, Daven Murphy- 3, Jimmie Mitchell- 2, Thomas Calame- 2, Carter Alessi- 1
NO. 3 WESTMINSTER CATAWBA 59, SOUTHLAKE CHRISTIAN 41
Westminster Catawba: 21 - 8 - 19 11 - 59
Southlake Christian: 12 - 13- 7 - 9 - 41
Westminster Catawba: M.J. Collins, 14, N. Hamrick 2, K. Addie 6, A. Hoyle 3, W. Jenkins 2, Rohahn Petiote 9, Dorien Johnson 17, A.J. Hamrick 6
Southlake Christian: Z. Duguid 9, J. Proctor 8, Z. Wazan 3, T. McCullough 3, L. Gazzaway 3, M. Watson 6, C. Monroe 9
Westminster Catawba 14-1 season record. Next Game Friday, FEB 12 at Concord Academy in the MAC Conference Championship Game.
NO. 4 DAVIDSON DAY SCHOOL 84, STATESVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 34
DDS- 13 19 26 26= 84
SCS- 12 5 11 6= 34
DDS: Atwell 20, Howard 9, Watson 6, Perry 4, St. Clair 19, Eley 10, Prunty 1, Shire 2, Horton 13
SCS: Cronce 11, Williams 12, Jones 6, Mason 2, Murphy 1, Mattox 2
RECORDS: Davidson Day Patriots: 21-2, (8-0, FAC) Statesville Christian Lions: 10-9 (5-3, FAC)
Game Stats: Davidson Day captured the Foothills Athletic Conference Championship with tonight’s win. Junior Donovan Atwell had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals for Davidson Day. Senior Blane St. Clair scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomore Trey Horton added 13 point and 9 rebounds, while freshman Derrick Eley chipped in with 10 points. Freshman Quay Watson played a strong all-around game for the Patriots with 6 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
Notes: Davidson Day now awaits the announcement of the NCISAA State Championship playoff pairings on Sunday, Feb. 14th.
NO. 5 WEDDINGTON 70, MARVIN RIDGE 25
Marvin Ridge – 6/7/10/2 -- 25
Weddington – 21/22/19/8 -- 70
MARVIN RIDGE 25 -- Nolan Ruthberg – 10, Garrett – 4, Calamas – 3, Lee – 2, Huffman – 2, Gibson – 2, Speicher - 2
WEDDINGTON 70 -- Chase Lowe – 22, AJ Cook – 16, Brock Bowen – 10, Werdaan – 4, Brosterhaus – 4, Frazier – 4, Wetherbee – 4, Bombardier – 3, Morton – 2, Abrams -
Notable: Junior PG Chase Lowe scored his 1000th point as a Warrior, finishing with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals.
NO. 6 CHARLOTTE LATIN 51, COVENANT DAY 50
Covenant Day 13 10 17 10 - 50
Charlotte Latin 15 15 11 10 - 51
Covenant Day 50 – Aden Holloway 24, Marcus Brown 14, Drew Anderson 3, John Ward 3, Britt Anderson 2, Jahmir Brown 2, Michael Marcus Jr 2
Charlotte Latin 51 – Graham Calton 17, Ned Hall 14, Chase Montgomery 8, Tyler Hendley 4, Cameron Kaplan 3, Daniel Haughton 3, Ryan Hirsch 2
Covenant Day brings their record to 8-10 (3-6 conference).
NO. 11 CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 64, SUN VALLEY 39
CCHS 12 14 25 13-- 64
SVHS 11 9 6 13-- 39
CCHS- Kevin Dumser 16, Peter Rossitch 10, J. Williams 2, K. Williams 6, McArdle 5, Tivnan 8, Thomas 4, Larsen 4, Brewer 1, Polking 3, Santucci 2, Evans 3
CCHS played without leading scorer Colin Thomas. All 12 players scored.
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 71, PROVIDENCE DAY 49
Charlotte Christian 19 19 18 15 -- 71
Providence Day 8 10 17 14 -- 49
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 71 -- Bryce Cash 23, Cade Nicholson 19, David Lash 10, TJ Hardy 10, Ben King 4, Patterson 3, Preston 2
PROVIDENCE DAY 49 -- Propst-Allison 27, Sistrunk 3, Byrne 2, Wertz 6, Asrat 3, Scott 6, Villegas 2
Notable: Charlotte Christian used a 17-2 run to finish out the second quarter to take a 20 point lead into halftime and never looked back. Sophomore Bryce Cash led the charge with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists for the Knights while fellow Sophomore Cade Nicholson added 19 points, 5 rebounds on 4 made 3 pointers. David Lash (10 points/ 7 rebounds) and TJ Hardy Jr. (10 points 5 rebounds 3 assists) also finished in double figures for the Knights. Quave Propst-Allison had a game-high 27 points for Providence Day.
Records: CCS 11-7, 4-4 CISAA; PDS 5-13, 1-4
NORTH MECK 83, HOUGH 56
Hough 11 7 24 14 – 56
North Meck 22 20 27 14 – 83
Hough: Graham Worland 15, Nick Shyrock 10, Riehl 7, Viruso 7, Crawford 6, Turner 5, McCormick 3, Sifford 3
NM: Chris Ford 25, Jeremy Gregory 20, Jordan Crawford 11, Waters 8, Cunningham 5, Coles 5, McClary 4, Bracey 3, Ravenell 2
NM 5-0 Hough 3-2
Notable: Hough ended North Meck’s 95-game junior varsity win streak. In the varsity game, Chris Ford had 25 points, 10 rebounds for the Vikings.
WEST CHARLOTTE 59, VANCE 50
West Charlotte 22 11 12 14 59
Vance. 9 15 17 9 50
West Charlotte: Chancelor Morrow 23 Ollie Alford 14 Raymond 8 Dow 5 Mahatha 4 D. Rivers 4 Mangum 1
Vance: Sanford 19 Gatewood 16 Gains 11 Smith 2 Pearce 2
CONCORD ACADEMY 71, NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 63
NCA: 12 14 18 19. 63
CA: 17 17 18 19 71
NCA: Mitchell 2, Wesley Tubbs III 4, J. Felton 21, G Hubbard III 8, Mattoors 6, J Homanen 16, Tesfa 6
CA: Javian Cannady 17, KJ Perry 2, Trae Benham 16, Tyler Fearne 18, Langston Boyd 12, Logan Threatt 6
Notable: Tyler Fearne 18p 6r 2a 2a 2b, Javian Cannady 17p 10r 3a 2s,
Sr.Trae Benham Scored his 2000th pt in the first half of the game.
CA Record 18-7
LAKE NORMAN 66, MORAVIAN PREP 56
Lake Norman 14 18 16 18 -- 66
Moravian Prep 20 14 14 8 -- 56
Lake Norman Dryden 2, Taylor 8, Cam Kepley 14, Goree 3, Davis Wagner 11, Gruber 4, Seth Aeschliman 24
Notable: Seth Aeschliman another double double with 24 and 12.
Thursday’s Girls Boxscores
NO. 1 SHELBY 65, KINGS MOUNTAIN 45
KM 9. 10. 13. 13. --45
SHS 26. 13. 13. 13. -65
KINGS MOUNTAIN 45 -- Saniya Wilson 24 pts, 5 reb, 3 assists, Khalia King 9 pts, Monica Head 6 pts, Tyasya Bell 4 pts, 4 reb, Aaliyah Byers 2 pts, 10 reb, 2 blocks, Austyn Dixon, 4 reb, Jacie Jarvis 3 reb, took 3 charges
SHELBY 65 -- Maraja Pass 25 pts, Ally Hollifield 18 pts, Yarharia Peeler 8 pts, Brooke Hartgrove 5 pts, Kate Hollifield 5 pts, Deja Griffin 2 pts, Jasmine Gash 2 pts
NO. 4 CUTHBERTSON 62, MONROE 19
Cuthbertson - 21 - 22 -13 - 6 -- 62
Monroe - 7- 0 - 2 - 9 -- 19
Cuthbertson - Kamaria Sheriff 20, Ruby Williams 15, Reagan Iovino 12, Maddie Dillinger 8, Kendall Gallagher 3, Lorelei Hagmaier 2, Amanda Sacoto 2
Monroe - Dynastee Parker 14, Michelle Velasquez 2, Saniya Gingham 2
NO. 11 CANNON SCHOOL 76 CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 63
Cannon School 18 8 27 23- 76
Charlotte Country Day School 10 23 12 18 - 63
Cannon School 60- Reigan Richardson 49, Hicks 8, Wood 5, Cherry 4, Edwards 3, York 3, Galloway 2, Evans 2
Charlotte Country Day School 63- Brooklin Ingram 14, Batten 6, Wilkins 1, Hudson Rixham 15, Sophie Rucker 12, Mary Holland Waters 13
Cannon School 15-5 (9-0)
Charlotte Country Day School 9-4 (7-2)
Notes: Reigan Richardson 49 points, 11 Rebounds, 11 Steals. Cannon School wins it’s first ever CISAA Conference Championship.
NO. 12 LAKE NORMAN 66, AL BROWN 22
Lake Norman 66 AL Brown 22
Lake Norman 25 19 14 8 -- 66
AL Brown 7 5 0 10 -- 22
Lake Norman 66 – Bella Harwood 20, Leigh Marks 8, Kirsten Lewis-Williams 7, Carly Reilly 7, Aly Wadkovsky 6, Jade Lowe 6, Madison Saunders 5, Abby McMahan 4, Kendall Robinson 2
AL Brown 22 – Hagler 8, Robinson 5, Grant 4, David 2, Yow 2, Estela 1
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 65, SUN VALLEY 29
Catholic 17 18 17 13 -- 65
Sun Valley 8 7 4 10 -- 29
Catholic 65 -- Imelda McMenamin 15, Blanca Thomas 13, Kate McArdle 10, Fava 5, Guella 4, O’Brien 3, Kacerosky 3, Matthews 2
Sun Valley 29 -- Tyra Robinson 11, Carter 8, Avant 7, Tarriff 3
Records: Catholic 7-3, Sun Valley 3-8
COVENANT DAY 51, CHARLOTTE LATIN 41
Charlotte Latin 11 6 15 9 -- 41
Covenant Day 13 14 17 7 -- 51
Covenant Day: Holloway 20, Houseton 8, Giftos 7, Ashley 4, Easter 4, Hailey 3, Koubratas 2, Imafidon 2
Charlotte Latin: Mary Schleusner 12, Neely Grace Tye 10, Maddie Shannon 9, Ardyn Henry 4, Neely Hume 2, Elizabeth Rose 2, Forrest Williams 2
Charlotte Latin 7-11 (3-6)
MOORESVILLE 58, GARINGER 34
GARINGER 34 -- Betsey Burnett: 27 pts 3 assists 3 stls, Kamden Fulmore 4pts 10 rebounds 4stls 2 assists
DAVIDSON DAY 47, STATESVILLE CHRISTIAN 32
Davidson Day -- Mallorie Haines 21, Juliana Park 12, Jessie Wiles 10, Ashley Fowler 3, Schuyler Moore 1Statesville Christian -- A. Sherrill 11, B. Bentley 9, J. Statts 4, J. Vaughn 4, G. Cole 4
Davidson Day notable: To win the Foothills Conference Tournament Championship Mallorie Haines led with 21 points, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds. Juliana Park added 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Jess Wiles scored 10 points and dished 5 assists.
HOPEWELL 61, MALLARD CREEK 58
MC: 14 13 11 14 6 - 58
Hopewell: 14 16 7 15 9 - 61
MC: Alexis B. 8, Kirah B. 4, Javelyn L. 4, Samiyah S. 13, Kennedy S. 19, Cayla D. 5, Jada C. 1, Shania H. 2
Hopewell: Wall 17, McManus 6, Caldwell 6, Gibson-Blackwell 12, Craig 6, Harris 10, Moore 1, Cunningham 3
Notes: Layla Wall, in her second game back from a broken arm, led Hopewell with 17 points and made 10 out of 12 free throws in the 4th quarter and OT to seal the game.
NORTH MECKLENBURG 69, HOUGH 44
North Meck 15 16 16 22 --69
Hough 8 13 5 18 --44
North Meck: Nevaeh Farmer 17, Taylor Dunn 11, Zoe Henderson 11, Page 9, Harris 5, Redfern 5, Vaughn 4, Stallings 3, Poole 2, Hogg 2
Hough: C.Polito 10, Swartz 8, Louthan 7, Frino 6, Cloninger 5, Phocas 4, Raymond 4,
N.Meck: Conf. 3-0
Hough: Overall 3-1, Conf. 2-1
N.Meck: Nevaeh Farmer 17pts, 5 assists, 5 rebs; Zoe Henderson 11pts, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 1 blk; Taylor Dunn 11pts, 4 rebs, 2 assist, 1 stl, 1 blk,
PROVIDENCE DAY 36, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 32
PDS:9-11-4-12—36
Christian: 5-7-15-5—-32
PDS: Sophie Levine 11 Ferguson 9 Jensen 1 Latter 4 Brooks 4 Sanchez 5 Roper 2
Christian: Taylor Suarez 12 Nora Schroeder 10 Busby 4 Swilling 6
Records: PDS 18-6
VANCE 77, WEST CHARLOTTE 33
Vance. 23. 19. 21. 14.= 77
WestChar. 4. 8 9. 12 = 33
Vance (77): Leah Barringer 18, M’Kayla Marshall 5, Lakattie Piggee 2, Carrie Perkins 1, Jada Richardson 4, Tanajah Hayes 16, Kaiyah Brown 2, Trinity Moreland 9, Amhyia Moreland 20.
West Charlotte ( 33): Falyn Alexis 3, Jaylah Henderson 10, La’Tayshia Andrews 2, Tereyonna Paul 6, Paige Bowman 2, Halle Chaffin 10.
CONCORD ACADEMY 54, HICKORY GROVE 14
CONCORD ACADEMY 54 -- Sloan 8, Zykia Benjamin 10, Dickens 3, Mckenzie Taylor 12, Lexander 8, Zoey Ward 15, Watts 1
GASTON DAY 40, METROLINA CHRISTIAN 37
Gaston Day -0- 11 - 17- 12- 40
Metrolina - 14- 12 - 3- 8 - 37
Gaston Day - Janiah Shular 20, Zaria Clark 8, Katherine Heilig 6, Mckynzie Mauney 2, Riley Chambers 2, Gabriella Drury 2
Metrolina Christian Academy - Emily Waters 10, Hannah Sorrentino 8, Ella McClain 6, Allie Honeycutt 4, Lilly Reynolds 5, Emma Gibbs 4
Notable: Gaston Day fought back to close a 26 to 6 lead in the second half. Z.Clark 11 rebounds and 6 steals, J. Shular 7 rebounds.Record 10-6
Next Game : Friday, February 12, @5 @ Concord Assembly for the MAC Championship
JM ROBINSON 55, CENTRAL CABARRUS 42
CCHS: 11, 1, 13, 17 (42)
JMR: 11, 16, 14, 14 (55)
Central: Mariah Barrie 20, Webb 6, Coley 6 Knight 5, Stanley 2 Ferrell 2
Robinson: Keyanna Farris 12, Ella Hobbs 21, Walker 9 , Strong 2, Horne 2 Andrews 3 Taylor 3 Batts 3
WEDDINGTON 53, MARVIN RIDGE 48
Weddington 11 12 19 11 - 53
Marvin Ridge 15 15 9 9 - 48
Weddington 53- - Tatum Bowen 22, Audrey Strange 10 Brooke Strong 8, Isabella Sarcona 5, Emily Cunningham 5, Hannah Tse 3, Mattie Beck 1
Marvin Ridge 48 -- Zahra Douglas 15, Emma Drake 12, Kyndall Shivers 8, Caroline Gravelle 5, Kelsie Robatie 5, Jada Boyko 2, Katherine Palmer 1
Friday’s Schedule
SoMeck 7 4A
Berry Academy at Ardrey Kell
Harding at Providence
Olympic at West Mecklenburg (boys)
South Mecklenburg at Olympic (girls)
Southwestern 4A
Garinger at Independence
Hickory Ridge at Butler
Myers Park at East Mecklenburg
Rocky River at Porter Ridge
Sandhills 4A
Jack Britt at Seventy-First
Lumberton at Purnell Swett
Pinecrest at Hoke County
Richmond Senior at Scotland County
Northwestern 3A-4A
Alexander Central at Freedom (girls)
McDowell at South Caldwell (girls)
South Caldwell at Alexander Central (boys)
Watauga at Hickory
Big South 3A
Ashbrook at Stuart Cramer
Crest at North Gaston
Hunter Huss at Forestview
North Piedmont 3A
East Rowan at North Iredell
Jesse Carson at South Iredell
Statesville at West Rowan
South Piedmont 3A
Concord at A.L. Brown
Southern Carolina 3A
Charlotte Catholic at Piedmont (girls)
Rocky River 2A-3A
Central Academy at Montgomery Central
Forest Hills at Anson County
Mount Pleasant at West Stanly
Central Carolina 2A
Central Davidson at West Davidson
Ledford at North Davidson
Lexington at Thomasville
Oak Grove at East Davidson
Salisbury at South Rowan
Foothills 2A
Bunker Hill at Patton (boys)
Bunker Hill at East Burke (girls)
Draughn at West Iredell (girls)
Fred T. Foard at Hibriten
West Iredell at West Caldwell (boys)
South Fork 2A
Bandys at West Lincoln
Lincolnton at Lake Norman Charter
Maiden at East Lincoln
Newton-Conover at North Lincoln
Southwestern 2A
East Gaston at Burns
East Rutherford at Chase
R-S Central at South Point
Metrolina Athletic Conference tournament
(Girls’ final)
Hickory Grove Christian-Concord Academy winner vs. Metrolina Christian-Gaston Day winner
(Boys’ finals)
Northside Christian-Concord Academy winner vs. SouthLake Christian-Westminster Catawba winner
Foothills Athletic Conference tournament
(Boys’ final)
Hickory Christian-University Christian winner vs. Statesville Christian-Davidson Day winner
(Girls’ final)
Hickory Christian-University Christian winner vs. Statesville Christian-Davidson Day winner
Southern Piedmont Athletic Assn.
North Hills Christian at United Faith Christian (boys)
Mountain Valley 1A-2A boys
Alleghany at East Wilkes
Elkin at Ashe County
North Wilkes at West Wilkes
Starmount at Wilkes Central
Mountain Valley 1A-2A girls
Ashe County at Elkin
East Wilkes at Alleghany
West Wilkes at North Wilkes
Wilkes Central at Starmount
Western Highlands 1A-2A
Avery County at C.D. Owen
Madison County at Mountain Heritage
Polk County at Mitchell County
PAC 1A
Langtree Charter at Carolina International (boys)
Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy
Pine Lake Prep at Bradford Prep
Queen’s Grant Charter at Community School of Davidson
Southern Piedmont 1A
Highland Tech at Cherryville
Lincoln Charter at Christ the King
Piedmont Community Charter at Bessemer City
Yadkin Valley 1A
North Stanly at Gray Stone Day
South Stanly at Albemarle
Uwharrie Charter at South Davidson
Nonconference
Cabarrus Charter at Millennium Charter
Covenant Classical at Arborbrook Christian (boys)
Cramerton Christian at Faith Christian (boys)
Greater Cabarrus Stallions at United Faith Christian
North Rowan at St. Stephens
Wesleyan Christian at Carmel Christian
Independence hopes to use CMS pause as positive
Independence High School boys basketball coach Preston Davis wasn’t sure what to expect from his team Tuesday night when the Patriots played their archrivals from Butler High.
Like all the other 4A teams in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Independence had been off for three weeks, after the district decided to shut down most high school sports due to the pandemic.
No other systems in North Carolina shut down. So, Davis, his players — and players and coaches around Mecklenburg County — go to watch and read about kids from other places doing what they loved to do.
And they waited.
“It was real tough,” said Davis, the 2018 N.C. Associated Press state Coach of the Year. “It’s hard to watch. As competitors, we all want to compete, but we’re going through some tough times right now, with the pandemic and our school district making that decision. That’s a tough decision they made, but you have to roll with it and make the best of the situation.”
When Independence stopped, the Patriots had played just three games. A similar district decision had taken away much of their traditional preseason conditioning and workouts, and after three wins to start the 2021 season, it was back to the bench.
So when the Patriots came in for practice Monday, their only practice before Tuesday’s Butler game, Davis was curious what he would see when he blew his whistle.
“I expected them to be winded,” Davis said. “I expected them to a be a little bit out of shape. They surprised me. Some of the guys had been working out on their own.”
And Tuesday night, Independence beat Butler 73-45. Independence led 32-10 after the first quarter. Jalen Hinton had 15 points. Isaiah Thomas had 12, and Landon King had 11.
For Davis, a defensive-minded coach, he was especially pleased at the job his team did on defense. Butler’s Jesse Taylor and Ty Black were averaging more than 40 points per game combined coming into the game. The duo got 22 against the Patriots.
“I commend my kids,” Davis said. “They stayed positive. They had to occupy a lot of time, but they went to each other’s houses and got shots up. They ran together. They made the best of it.”
Senior captain Camren Little said he used the time to work on his game, trying to — in his words — turn the negative of not playing into a positive.
“It was just me trying to find personal motivation,” he said. “Seeing other kids play, it gave me the desire and push to want to be back on the court. But I’m glad we’re able to have a game.”
CMS teams will have this week and next to finish the regular season. Most teams will play half of a scheduled 14-game season. Missing so much time, Little said, does put Independence and other district teams behind their competitors.
But like he did during the break, Little said he’s using that as motivation.
“With this whole COVID situation,” he said, “this whole season has been different. We’re already used to being behind, from not being able to start workouts in the summers when we normally start. We’re used to this, and as the season goes on, we can nip those things, sloppy play and sloppy turnovers.”
Davis said having a veteran team will help. But so will his team’s attitude.
“Though all of this,” he said, “they kept their heads up. Their kept waiting for their chance.”
And now, Independence — and the rest of CMS — plans to make the most of it.
Wednesday’s #BIG5 Boys Top Performers
Jack Carter, Cole Seagle, North Lincoln: Combined for 49 points -- 25 for Carter, 24 for Seagle -- in a 77-52 win over Liolnton.
Knoah Carver, Ardrey Kell: team-high 19 points in a 55-47 win over Olympic.
Chris Ford, North Mecklenburg: 18 points, eight rebounds in a 93-36 win over East Mecklenburg.
Jayden Maddox, Hickory: 20 points, 10 steals, eight rebounds, four assists in a 68-58 win over Alexander Central.
Graham Worland, Hough: 6-5 junior point guard had game-high 25 points in a 57-48 win over Butler.
Wednesday’s #BIG5 Girls Top Performers
Nevaeh Farmer, North Meck: 17 points, seven steals in a 57-46 win over Hopewell.
Danisha Hemphill, Freedom: game-high 19 points in a 55-32 win over Watauga.
Finley Lefevers, Hickory: 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 60-53 win over Alexander Central, No. 14 in the Sweet 16.
Nyla McGill, Providence: 20 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two assists in a 64-38 win over Berry.
Anastasia Sinclair, South Mecklenburg: 15 points, seven assists, six steals in a 65-22 win over Harding. Reece Johnston (career-high 13 points, career-high six steals) and Katie Houpt (12 points, career-high eight rebounds) had strong games.
Wednesday’s Boys Boxscores
ARDREY KELL 55, OLYMPIC 47
Ardrey Kell 55 Olympic 47
Ardrey Kell 13 12 16 14 —55
Olympic. 9 15 12 11 — 47
ARDREY KELL 55 — Knoah Carver 19, Elijah Gray 13, Peyton Gerald 13, Nelson 7, Smith 2
OLYMPIC- Herd 20, Small 8
Notable: Ardrey Kell moves to 4-0 and faces Berry at home Friday night.
FOREST HILLS 57, MONTGOMERY CENTRAL 42
Forest Hills 22 17 10 8 -- 57
Montgomery Central 8 14 9 11 -- 42
MONTGOMERY CENTRAL --- Tyrese Scott 15, Ben Harmon 12, Leake 6, Johnson 6, Horne 4, Lopez 2
FOREST HILLS (7-1, 5-1) –Ja Coffey 12, Ty Burch 11, Jamylan Blakeney 10, Barbour 8, Byrams 3, Hester 4, O. Burch 7, Horne 2
HOUGH 57, BUTLER 48
Hough: 11 11 20 15 57
Butler: 23 13 10 2 48
Hough: Worland 25, Shyrock 11, Riehl 9, Crawford 7, Sifford 3, Turner 2
Butler: Jesse Taylor 21, Black 9, McDuffie 8, Fisher-Davis 6, Heath 4
Butler moves to 1-4 (1-3 in conference). Hough moves to 3-1. Butler takes on Hickory Ridge on Friday.
NORTH MECKLENBURG 93, EAST MECKLENBURG 36
East Mecklenburg 9 10 6 11 – 36
North Mecklenburg 32 28 21 12 – 93
EM: Jordan Nevill 15, Johnson 6, Williams 5, Storey 4, Reynolds 4, White 2
NM: Chris Ford 18, Jeremy Gregory 16, Maxwell Coles 13, Tyree Bracey 11, Jordan Crawford 10, Cunningham 7, McClary 6, Waters 5, Ravenell 4, Johnson 3
NM 4-0
ROCKY RIVER 76, MYERS PARK 69
Rocky River - 21 22 15 18 = 76
Myers Park - 7 17 22 23 = 69
RR - S. Richards 20, T. Forte 16, C. Thomas 10, J. Hargrave 10
MP - Elijah Strong 31, Henry Ryan 9, Sir Mohammed 8
HICKORY 68, ALEXANDER CENTRAL 58
Hickory 9 21 25 13 -- 68
Alexander 20 17 19 2 -- 58
HICKORY 68 -- Rico Walker 17, Everhart 6, Maddox 9, Rumbaugh 8, Jayden Maddox 20, Hill 6, Fisher 2
ALEXANDER 58 -- Payne 4, Herman 4, Hubbard 3, Evan Presnell 20, Avery Cook 11, G. Presnell 2, Sigmon 6, Lowrance 8
NORTH LINCOLN 77, LINCOLNTON 52
North Lincoln 20 21 23 13 77
Lincolnton- 13 17 13 9 52
North Lincoln- Jack Carter 25, Cole Seagle 24, Jake Dedmon 7, Daniel Carter 5, Jack Waggoner 4, Seth Whitley 4, Braedan Barker 2, Ben Corter 2, Connor Carson 2, Jake Terrill 2, Nate Lykins, Reece Corter
Lincolnton-Connor Williams 14, Amonte Finger 10, Reed King 8, DJ Danner 5, Tylan McClain 4, Will Blackburn 4, Keitric Patterson 3, Jacob McGill 2, Easton Dellinger 2
North Lincoln 9-2 South Fork 2A conference
DAVIE COUNTY 57, REAGAN 38
DAVIE COUNTY -- 5-10-24-18 -- 57
REAGAN -- 9-8-2-19 -- 38
DAVIE COUNTY (6-4, 4-4) Luke Williams 17, Zaharee Maddox 12, Jake Powers 11, Hudson 6, Walker 4, Earnhardt 3, Bumgarner 3, Tatum 2.
REAGAN (0-6, 0-5) Nick Pennell 12, Joines 6, Hill 5, O. Koivisto 4, Rogers 4, George 2, Jackson 2.
Wednesday’s Girls Boxscores
NO. 3 FREEDOM 55, WATAUGA 32
Watauga 6 4 8 14 - 32
Freedom 15 10 12 16 - 53
Watauga 32 - Sturgill 7, Williamson 5, Farthing 2, Scheffler 6, Torgerson 7, Hodges 5, Cook, Keller, Kiker.
Freedom 53 - Danisha Hemphill 19, Christena Rhone 10, Walker 8, Ste. McGee 7, Sta. McGee 2, Armentrout 1, Ollis 2, Kania 2, Wilkerson 2.
Freedom (5-0) will take on Alexander Central Friday night.
NO. 8 HICKORY 60, NO. 14 ALEXANDER CENTRAL 53
Hickory 13 19 12 16 -- 60
Alexander 14 11 18 10 -- 53
HICKORY 60 -- Morin 6, Finley Lefevers 26, James 7, Rumbaugh 2, Aysha Short 17, Powe 2
ALEXANDER 53 -- Gracie Harrington 13, Hagy 8, Chesney Stikeleather 17, Hayes 8, Pennell 5, Jarrett 2
MYERS PARK 74, ROCKY RIVER 34
Rocky River HS - 13 06 06 09 34
Myers Park HS - 26 18 23 07 74
Rocky River HS - Horne 9, Lockley 8, Sanders 8, Libby 3, Brooks 6
Myers Park HS - Nia Nelson 15, Mia Xerras 12, Naya Clamp 10, Wilson 8, Truesdale 7, Giffin 5, Paraison 5, Thompson 3, Gianopoulous 4, Davis 3, Sule 2
Records: Rocky River - 1-2 (1-2); Myers Park - 4-0 (4-0)
NORTH MECKLENBURG 57, HOPEWELL 46
N.Meck 14 20 16 7--- 57
Hopewell 16 7 16 7 -- 46
N.Meck: Nevaeh Farmer 17, Dearia Page 10, Zoe Henderson 10, Hogg 6, Harris 6, Dunn 2, Poole 2, Weston 2, Redfern 2,
Hopewell: N.Caldwell 21, Gibson-Blackwell 9, Wall 5, Craig 4, McManus 3, Harris 2, Rochinski 2
Records: N.Meck: 2-0; Hopewell: 0-3
North Meck notable: Nevaeh Farmer 17pts & 7 steals, Alisha Harris career high 12 rebs and 2 blocks, Dearia Page career high 10pts & 4 rebs and Zoe Henderson 10pts & 8rebs. The Lady Vikings shot 82% from the free throw line.
OLYMPIC 52, ARDREY KELL 44
Olympic 16 9 9 18 -- 52
Ardrey Kell 2 8 20 14 -- 44
OLYMPIC 52 -- Aniyah Scales 8 Pts 6 Reb 2 ast 2 Blk, Cydney Harris 16 Pts 5 Reb 4 Stl, Amara Tomas 2 Pts 2 Stl, Aliyah Terry 4 Pts 3 Reb 2 Ast 3 Stl, Azeria Thomas 5 Pts 4 Reb, Sydney Wells 2 pts, Jaelin Register 15 Pts 4 Reb 2 Ast 6 Stl
ARDREY KELL 44 -- Nelson 3 pts, Hunter 7 pts, k. Newman 2 pts, Belcher 6 pts, Gueterman 3 pts, Evans 10 pts, Vanderbeck 13 pts
PROVIDENCE 64, BERRY 38
PROVIDENCE 25 18 12 9 = 64
BERRY - 10 8 7 13 = 38
PHS: Nyla McGill 20, Eva Butler 8, Madison Skinner 13, Lindsey Nolan 6, Delanie Hill 16, Ella Rising 1
POB: Smith 4, Jackson 11, Bennett 2, Perkins 4, Joseph 11, Johnson 6, Lassiter 2
Notable: Eva Butler: 8 assists, 6 steals and 4 rebounds, Nyla McGill: 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists
Records: Providence: 3-0
SOUTH MECK 65 HARDING 22
South Meck 21 15 23 6 - 65
Harding 0 10 6 6- 22
SOUTH MECK 65– Anastasia Sinclair 15, Evie Miller 11, Reece Johnston 13 Katie Houpt 12 4, Ndango 4, MHoupt 8, Williams 2
HARDING 22. - JPettway 11; JBrimmer 7, MMarcus 4
Thursday’s Schedule
I-Meck 4A
Hough at North Mecklenburg
Mallard Creek at Hopewell
Vance at West Charlotte
CISAA
Charlotte Christian at Providence Day
Charlotte Latin at Covenant Day
Charlotte Country Day at Cannon School
Northwestern 3A-4A
St. Stephens at Hickory (girls)
Big South 3A
Forestview at Stuart Cramer (girls)
Hunter Huss at Ashbrook
South Piedmont 3A
Central Cabarrus at Jay M. Robinson
Cox Mill at Northwest Cabarrus
Southern Carolina 3A
Marvin Ridge at Weddington
Monroe at Cuthbertson
Piedmont at Parkwood
Sun Valley at Charlotte Catholic
Rocky River 2A-3A
Central Academy at Montgomery Central (boys)
Foothills 2A
Bunker Hill at Draughn
East Burke at Patton
Hibriten at Fred T. Foard
West Caldwell at West Iredell
Yadkin Valley 1A
North Rowan at Gray Stone Day (girls)
Nonconference
A.L. Brown at Lake Norman
The Burlington School at Lake Norman Christian (girls)
Charlotte Elite Academy at Franklin Prep
Garinger at Mooresville
Greater Cabarrus Stallions at Covenant Classical (boys)
Kings Mountain at Shelby
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 5:57 PM.
