Girls’ basketball rewind: Alexis Shehan, Lake Norman handle Mallard Creek at George Lynch
In an early-season showdown between a pair of 4A state championship hopefuls at the George Lynch Invitational at Myers Park High School, Lake Norman’s defense forced 20 first half turnovers and game MVP Alexis Shehan led the Wildcats to an impressive 60-52 win.
Shehan finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
“What an opportunity for us early in the season,” Lake Norman coach McKenzie Graham said. “We knew we would learn a lot whether we won or we lost.”
Shehan, one of four future college players on the team, scored 10 in the first half and added 12 in the second half as the Mavericks rallied to get as close as seven in the fourth quarter. Shehan and her twin sister Samantha Shehan are head to Kentucky Wesleyan, and Kelsey Rhyne (Navy) and Addison Sirianni (Chaminade) also are college-bound to play basketball.
Saturday, West Cabarrus transfer Rayana Minard (14 points), Rhyne (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Samantha Shehan (7 points) led the Wildcats.
Mallard Creek played without junior point guard Kiara Anderson — an East Lincoln transfer who was one of The Observer’s picks for a top five player in the region. Mallard Creek coach Karlyn Dixon would not comment on Anderson’s absence.
Elle Stone (16 points, 5 rebounds), My’Asia Young (9 points, 10 rebounds), Sydney McGuire (9 points) and Jazmeen Stone (9 points) led the way for the short-handed Mavericks.
“I think we were just a bit unsettled at first,” said Dixon, whose team trailed 35-17 at halftime. “We were able to adjust some in the second half but we dug ourselves a pretty big hole.”
Saturday’s #BIG5 performers
WEST CABARRUS 69, CENTRAL CABARRUS 49
Central Cabarrus 7 10 10 22 — 49
West Cabarrus 15 17 18 19 - 69
CENTRAL CABARRUS 49 — Seirea Duckett, Daniyah Burton, 11, Myajah Nix 11, Duncan 6, Arévalo 6, Pickett 3
WEST CABARRUS 69 — White 15, Neal 15, Silas 13, Griffin 10
Madison Drayton, Cannon School: Drayton had a game-high 22 points in a 66-42 win over over 2024 N.C. 4A state finalist Charlotte Catholic.
Reece Long, Lake Norman Charter: In a 66-23 win over Pine Lake Prep, Long had a career-high 26 points.
Alexis Shehan, Lake Norman: A member of the five-person preseason All-Observer team, Shehan had a game-high 22 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 60-52 win over Mallard Creek at the George Lynch Invitational at Myers Park.
Taylor Smith, Justice Alexander, Concord Academy: Smith, a junior, and Alexander, a freshman, both had monster games in a 71-56 win for the N.C. private school over 4A public power Watauga. Smith had 27 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Alexander had 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.
Elle Stone, Mallard Creek: Stone, who has committed to Delaware, had a team-high 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and a block in the loss to Lake Norman.
Saturday’s George Lynch boxscores
NO. 3 LAKE NORMAN 60, NO. 2 MALLARD CREEK 52
Lake Norman 14 21 11 14 — 60
Mallard Creek 9 8 16 19 — 52
LAKE NORMAN 60 — Buonicounti 3, Bond 2, Kelsey Rhyne 12, Rayana Minard 14, Alexis Shehan 22, S. Shehan 7.
MALLARD CREEK 52 — McGuire 9, Easterling 2, Young 9, Stone 9, Elle Stone 16, Tendall 1, Robertson 6.
Records: Mallard Creek 2-1; Lake Norman 2-0
NO. 7 CONCORD ACADEMY 71, WATAUGA 56
CONCORD ACADEMY 71 — Jayla Brower 17, Taylor Smith 27, Justice Alexander 23, Bekich 2
WATAUGA 56 — Matheson 2, Thompson 8, Torgerson 3, Kate Sears 23, Blair Haines 16, Damer 4
Notable: For Watauga, Virginia Tech signee Kate Sears had 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Saturday’s area boxscores
NO. 1 CANNON SCHOOL 66, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 42
Charlotte Catholic 7 12 10 13 — 42
Ardrey Kell 9 21 18 18 — 66
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 42 — Megan Shea 12, Kernodle 9, Pisacano 7, Tucker 6, Hoefling 5, Fey 2, Lupinski 1
CANNON 66 — Madison Drayton 22, J. Thompson 9, Nakumara 9, Gaskin 8, Busby 6, Mccorkle 5, K. Thompson 4, Dixon 3
Records: Catholic 1-1; Cannon 7-1
NO. 12 CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 55, WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN 50
Country Day 16 14 16 9 — 55
Wesleyan Christian 12 9 20 9 — 50
COUNTRY DAY 55 — Sam Vanderhave 15, Blythe 9, Turner 1, Olive Bigham 21, Starnes 9,
WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN 50 — Kennedy Jackson 16, Taylor Howley 10, Carr 8, Cox 8, Cunningham 4, Forester 2, Brown 2
NO. 14 HICKORY RIDGE 58, NORTHWEST CABARRUS 31
Northwest Cabarrus 2 9 9 11 — 31
Hickory Ridge 12 12 20 14 —58
NORTHWEST CABARRUS 31 — Ortscheid 16, Furner 8, Ibonez 4, Willoughby 1, Little 1, Woolfolk 1
HICKORY RIDGE 58 — Gidney 19, Leathers 11, Powell 10, Duley 4, Ritter 4, Watkins 4, Johnson 2, Juarez 2, Hamilton 2
Records: Northwest 1-1, Hickory Ridge 4-0.
Notable: Ma-Kaela Gidney lead the Ragin Bulls with 19. Leathers added 11 and Jada Powell added 10. Miranda Duley grabbed 11 rebounds.
NO. 16 PROVIDENCE DAY 57, EE SMITH 44
Providence Day 8 14 8 14 13 — 57
EE Smith 10 7 13 12 2 — 44
PROVIDENCE DAY 57 — Ginny Anne Dumont 17 Ellie Fyans 10 O’Malley 7 Ramsden 9 Clark 6 Carson 2 Stuart 4 Nowlin 2
EE SMITH 44 — Azariah Brunson 16, Amy Boa 10, Baldwin 9, Speller 2, Cordero 4 Johnson 3
Record: Providence Day 2-3
Notable: Providence Day outscored Fayetteville’s EE Smith 14-2 in overtime and improved to 2-0 at the Elite Exposure tournament in Fayetteville.
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 66, PINE LAKE PREPARATORY 23
LNC 28 15 18 5 — 66
PLP 4 12 5 2 — 23
LNC 66 – Reece Long 26, Abby Courtney 14, Sam Colantonio 7, Lucy Courtney 7, Corynn Keck 5, Caroline Mercuri 5, Emma Nelson 3
PLP 23 – K. Armstrong 5, A. Garrett 5, D. Stanford 5, H. Plattner 2, R. Blickley 2, L. Schwaba 2, T. Schmdes 2
UNION ACADEMY 53, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 25
Charlotte Christian 2 5 3 15 — 25
Union Academy 12 17 13 11 — 53
UNION ACADEMY 53 — Suttle 16, McMurray 10, Starnes 10, Hildreth 7, Shine 4, Geilow 4,Ambrose 2
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 25 — Kozlow 7, Fair 5, Eboboko 4, Maxwell-Wright 3, Myers 2, Spang 2, Taylor 2.
Records: Charlotte Christian 0-4; Union Academy 2-0
WEST CABARRUS 69, CENTRAL CABARRUS 49
Central Cabarrus 7 10 10 22 — 49
West Cabarrus 15 17 18 19 - 69
CENTRAL CABARRUS 49 — Seirea Duckett, Daniyah Burton, 11, Myajah Nix 11, Duncan 6, Arévalo 6, Pickett 3
WEST CABARRUS 69 — White 15, Neal 15, Silas 13, Griffin 10
Late Friday boxscore
NO. 1 CANNON SCHOOL 59, LEGION COLLEGIATE 49
Cannon School 18 10 16 15 — 59
Legion Collegiate 11 9 20 9 — 49
CANNON SCHOOL 59 — Larkins 2, McCorkle 4, Busby 6, J. Thompson 6, Khloe Thompson 11, Jakaila Gaskin 13, Madison Drayton 16
LEGION COLLEGIATE 49 — Williams 7, Aiyana Murrell 11, Jaylen McMurray 10, Lakiara Alexander 21
Records: Cannon School 6-1; Legion Collegiate 4-4
This story was originally published November 23, 2024 at 7:47 PM.
