Still unbeaten, still No. 1: Lake Norman girls’ basketball dream still alive.
Lake Norman’s dream is still alive.
The Wildcats’ girls basketball team, No. 1 in The Charlotte Observer Sweet 16, is heading to Saturday’s N.C. 4A Western Regional championship after rallying to beat No. 6 North Mecklenburg 57-50 Tuesday.
Lake Norman (30-0) has never played in a state championship. After a tough win Tuesday, the Wildcats are now one win away.
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Lake Norman will play Charlotte Catholic in the regional championship. Charlotte Catholic, No. 7 in The Sweet 16, beat No. 16 Watauga 60-49 behind 22 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and two steals from 6-5 junior center Blanca Thomas.
The NC High School Athletic Association will determine the neutral site for the regional championship game Wednesday morning. It announced Tuesday that potential sites will be Asheville Reynolds, Morganton Freedom, Greensboro Grimsley, McDowell High in Marion, or Providence High in Charlotte.
On Tuesday, North Mecklenburg (27-3) led for much of the game and even forced the Wildcats to get out of their traditional full-court pressure defense. But Wildcats coach McKenzie Graham switched to a zone that slowed the more athletic Vikings down. North Meck struggled to make outside shots.
And as the game wore on, the Vikings struggled to make most any type. Two times they had 1-on-0 fast breaks to take or extend a lead, and both times they missed. Lake Norman converted on similar opportunities and made free throws late.
The game was similar to Lake Norman’s 67-66 win at home in December, when Lake Norman star Kirsten Lewis-Williams made a spinning layup in the finals seconds.
Tuesday’s loss denied North Meck the opportunity to reach its first state championship game since 1986, when the Vikings won, led by a wunderkind All-American named Andrea Stinson.
For Lake Norman, Lewis-Williams finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Teammate Kelsey Rhyne had 20. North Meck’s Kairah Dixon-Booker had 17 points and Nevaeh Farmer had 10.
Game Summary
NO. 1 LAKE NORMAN 57, NO. 6 NORTH MECK 50
Lake Norman - 10 14 9 22 -- 57
North Meck - 11 18 6 15 -- 50
LAKE NORMAN 57 -- Kirsten Lewis Williams 22 points (18 rebounds), Kelsey Rhyne 20, Shehan 11, Sirianni 2, Shehan 2
NORTH MECK 50 - Booker 17, Farmer 10, Bates 8, Page 6, Reed 6, Hoover 2, Pellum 1
Notable: Lake Norman advances to the 5th round of NCHSAA state playoffs.
PHOTOS: North Meck girls at Lake Norman
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 7:30 PM.
