NCHSAA state finals recaps: Daily double for Rowan – West Rowan, Salisbury are state champs

Rowan County will own half of the state’s girls’ basketball championships this year.

West Rowan capped a perfect season Saturday afternoon by downing Rocky Mount in the 3A championship game. A few hours later, Salisbury captured its second straight 2A state title, beating Seaforth 48-39.

West Rowan finished with a 31-0 record in capturing its first girls’ basketball state title.

Salisbury, which lost its top three scorers off last year’s championship squad, finished 27-3.

And in case you’re wondering … no, the two teams never met this season.

Their most likely meeting would have been in the annual Sam Moir Christmas Tournament, but Salisbury opted instead to play in the John Wall Invitational in Raleigh during the holidays.

West Rowan perfect

West Rowan’s 31st girls’ basketball game was just like the 30 others.

The Falcons clamped down defensively and dominated the boards downing Rocky Mount 60-50.

Playing before an enthusiastic sellout crowd at N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum, the Falcons wrapped up a 31-0 season with an impressive rebounding performance.

After three quarters, West Rowan had as many offensive rebounds — 22 — as Rocky Mount had in total.

The Falcons finished with 31 offensive rebounds and piled up a 60-36 margin overall on the boards.

It was the first appearance ever in a girls’ state basketball title game for the Falcons.

“This is phenomenal,” West Rowan coach Ashley Poole said. “The girls thought we could have something special this year, and they worked hard for this.”

Junior forward Emma Clarke added, “This is something that people our age can only dream about.”

West Rowan allowed opponents an average of only 29 points a game before Saturday, and the Falcon defense made life miserable for the Gryphons (30-2). They held Rocky Mount, which scored 111 points in a game earlier this season, to less than 35 percent shooting from the floor.

West Rowan vaulted to a 34-20 halftime lead, largely behind junior forward Lauren Arnold, who had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) already at intermission.

Arnold finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Rocky Mount’s Caroline Thiel kept her team in the game in the third quarter, scoring 10 points and helping the Gryphons narrow the deficit to as little as nine points.

But West Rowan rebuilt the lead to 13 points after three quarters (48-35), and while Rocky Mount narrowed the gap to 10 points a couple times in the final period, the Gryphons never really got close enough.

Salisbury wins again

Salisbury won the sixth girls’ state championship in school history, rallying for a 48-39 triumph over Seaforth.

Seaforth (27-4), a second-year Chatham County school which does not have a senior class, stunned the Hornets by jumping to a 15-3 lead in the first quarter.

Coach Lakai Brice’s team slowly clawed its way back, forcing Seaforth turnovers and converting enough of those into baskets. The Hornets tied the game at 19-all in the second quarter. Junior forward Makayla Noble then turned a steal into a layup that gave Salisbury a 21-19 lead.

Salisbury led 26-23 at the half, but Seaforth battled back and tied the game at 30-all.

Seaforth standout Gabby White then picked up her fourth personal foul, and Salisbury scored on a three-point play by Kyla Bryant for a 33-30 lead.

The Hornets gradually opened the lead, and Bryant clinched the victory by making three free throws in the final minute.

Seaforth piled up a 43-22 rebounding edge over Salisbury, but the Hornets committed only five turnovers. Noble led Salisbury with 15 points.

In addition to last year’s state title, Salisbury has won four other times – in 2004 and from 2009-11.

Farmville spoils Reidsville try

Farmville Central won its eighth state title and finished the season unbeaten against in-state competition, dominating Reidsville 75-63 in the 2A boys championship game at Chapel Hill.

The loss spoiled Reidsville’s effort to finish unbeaten, as the Rams fell for the only time in 27 games this season.

Farmville Central (30-1) lost only to New Jersey’s Bosco Prep this season.

The Jaguars, who won the state title in 2021 and were co-champs a year earlier, won this game with their pressure defense. They scored 21 points off Reidsville errors and allowed the Rams to score only four points off Farmville mistakes.

Jah Short, a 6-4 senior guard, was named the game’s most valuable player, scoring 36 points. J.D. Daniels and M.J. Williams each added 14.

Reidsville’s talented freshman, Dionte Neal, finished with 32 points.

The Rams had won their four previous appearances in state basketball championship games but haven’t won a title since 2003.

Farmville Central is now 8-2 in championship contests.

Wilson Prep wins 1A boys

Wilson Prep fought off two rallies by Eastern Randolph and captured the 1A boys’ state basketball championship Saturday, winning 84-73 at Reynolds Coliseum on the N.C. State campus in Raleigh.

It was the second title in three years for the Tigers, who took the 2021 crown with a 7-2 record in a COVID-shortened season.

The Tigers (27-7) were lead by 6-8 junior center David Ellis, with 14 points and 19 rebounds. Jahmar Jones finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five steals.

Eastern Randolph’s 6-4 senior forward, DaVonte Brooks, had a memorable game, finishing with 34 points and 19 rebounds.It was the first state championship appearance for the Wildcats (29-3).

Wilson Prep stunned Eastern Randolph in the game’s opening minutes, building a 13-2 lead in the opening three minutes.

Eastern Randolph turned the ball over nine times in the game’s first few minutes, and the Tigers took advantage.

But the Wildcats battled back and caught up at 24-all in the second quarter. Eastern Randolph even surged ahead 35-31, before Wilson Prep responded and took a 37-36 halftime lead.

The Tigers owned the third quarter, forcing six Eastern Randolph turnovers and converting several of those into fast-break layups. Wilson Prep outscored the Wildcats 28-18 in the period and seemed to be in control with a 65-54 lead, entering the final eight minutes.

Eastern Randolph rallied again in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to Brooks. His put-back with 5:23 remaining allowed the Wildcats to close within 65-60, and a Brooks layup with 2:54 remaining narrowed the gap to 73-70.

But the Wildcats missed several free throws in the closing minutes, and Jahmar Jones twice blocked shots by Brooks.

Villains win again in 1A

Winston-Salem’s Bishop McGuinness won its second straight 1A girls’ state cbampionship Saturday, crushing first-time participant Chatham Charter 73-43 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

The Villains are now 11-0 in state title games. That included a nine-year run as state champs from 2006-14.

This time, the intrigue lasted only for one quarter.

Chatham Charter (26-6) battled the Villains (28-4) on even terms for much of the first quarter and led 12-10 late in the period. But Bishop McGuinness began forcing turnovers, and the Villains went on a 28-10 run for the rest of the half.

That gave Bishop McGuinness a 38-22 halftime lead, and the second half was largely anti-climactic.

Adelaide Jernigan had 21 points and Kiersten Varner added 14 for Bishop McGuinness, which had four players in double figures. Meah Brooks led Chatham Charter with 18.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle