West Rowan girls top East Lincoln for berth in 3A state championship game.
West Rowan’s girls basketball team played a complete game at the offensive and defensive ends to defeat East Lincoln, 49-42, in the NCHSAA 3A regionals on Saturday.
The Falcons improved to 30-0 in advancing to the March 11 title game.
“(Going to a state championship) is awesome,” West Rowan coach Ashley Poole said. “No doubt.”
The game, in large part, was close in the first half. However, in the second half — things started moving in the Falcons’ direction.
“I don’t think we were playing our game in the first couple quarters,” Poole said. “We got back to playing our game in the second half.”
Tiara Thompson played a phenomenal game for West Rowan — scoring and facilitating the offense. She was able to beat her defender off the drive several times and converted on late free throws down the stretch.
“(Thompson) is only a freshman,” Poole mentioned. “I thought she was a little rattled early, but she settled down, took care of the ball and settled into our offense.”
With the win, West Rowan was able to avenge its playoff loss to East Lincoln last season.
“We did have a chip on our shoulder, I’m not going to lie,” Poole said. “That (loss last season) really fueled the fire.”
Pool expects her team to remain focused heading into the championship.
“I’m not worried about (distractions,” the coach said. “They know what they want.”
East Lincoln finished the season 31-1.
Three who made a difference
Demya Phifer, West Rowan: Phifer had 12 points for the Falcons. She hit some late free throws to put the game out of reach for the Mustangs in the closing seconds. Her second-half defensive efforts were key.
Tiara Thompson, West Rowan: Poole noted that Thompson is just a freshman. However, once she was able to calm the nerves and emotion of a big stage, she calmly ran the Falcons’ offense.
Hailey McFadden, East Lincoln: McFadden was a matchup nightmare for the Falcons. She’s 6-foot-2 and has a great low post game. McFadden finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Scoring summary
West Rowan: 16 7 13 13 — 49
East Lincoln: 15 11 6 9 — 42
PHOTOS: West Rowan vs. East Lincoln girls
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 4:51 PM.