No. 1 Mallard Creek girls roll past Mount Tabor, will face tough Watauga team next
The Mallard Creek girls’ basketball team is moving on.
The Mavericks surged past Mt. Tabor, blowing out the Winston-Salem school in the second half in an 80-45 win on Friday night — and their 18th victory in a row.
“We have all the components that a team needs to win,” said junior Olivia Robertson, who finished with 17 points. “We have great players, great teamwork, great chemistry. That’s what we need.”
Mallard Creek (26-3), which plays at top-seeded Watauga in the third round of the N.C. 4A state tournament Tuesday, went undefeated in the Queen City 3A/4A conference.
The Mavericks are the No. 1-ranked team in the latest Charlotte Observer Sweet 16 poll.
Junior Elle Stone led the Mavericks with 22 points. It was a balanced offensive effort; senior point guard Lilian Booker contributed 15 points, and sophomore My’asia Young added 11 points.
Mt. Tabor pushed Mallard Creek early. Pesky defensive steals and 3-pointers allowed Mallard Creek to jump out to a double-digit lead, but the Spartans kept the deficit within reach throughout the first half.
“They’re really a special group in a bunch of different ways,” said Mallard Creek head coach Karlyn Dixon. “They’re a joy to have around, just really good girls. They enjoy each other, which I think is huge when you’re talking about team chemistry.
“It’s really hard to get things done on the court if you aren’t close with your teammates or you don’t really care about them. But when that shines through, you’re really able to push through adversity and things happening on and off the court.”
The Mavericks pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring their opponent by a significant margin as their offense clicked on all cylinders.
“We work well together and have all those pieces to get there,” Robertson said.
This story was originally published March 1, 2024 at 8:12 PM.
