Saturday’s rewind: Ambassador Christian rolls past Bull City Prep at Phenom Hoops’ event

After coaching at Providence High and winning a state title at Myers Park, Ambassador Christian boys’ basketball coach Scott Taylor has always kind of had a routine.

It was always something like this: Come out of Christmas break, lock in for conference play and try to get his team ready to make a state championship run.

But Ambassador Christian, which beat Durham’s Bull City Prep 71-49 Saturday night at home, doesn’t have a conference or a state association to play in, so Taylor’s team is — for now — focused on other things.

“We often get questions of ‘What’s been the most difficult thing,’” Taylor said, “and I don’t think there’s some great answer. It’s just different. Normally, we’d be trying to get the team prepared to play their best ball, to make that playoff run, but that’s not really where we are with this program right now, not being in an association.”

Saturday, Ambassador Christian (9-4) played for the first time since Dec. 23, when it beat NCISAA power Greenfield School 60-51 at the Spectrum Center in uptown Charlotte.

Playing in the Phenom Hoops’ Ambassador Classic on Saturday, the Lions didn’t have much trouble with a Bull City Prep team (5-10) that lost, 87-67, at Forsyth Country Day on Friday night.

Ambassador was scheduled to play South Carolina’s Cardinal Newman School, but Taylor said the school has at least temporarily suspended its season following an incident with team players during a holiday tournament.

“So we were scrambling looking for an opponent,” Taylor said, “and we got Bull City to play. I appreciate them being willing to shift things around and come down.”

Ambassador controlled the game Saturday, getting its third straight victory, courtesy of 20 points from JD Bowden, 15 from Judah King and a combined 15 points and 12 rebounds from Tyler Brown and Jeremiah Franklin.

Taylor said the time off really helped.

“We were able to reset,” he said, “and redirect conversations of what we wanted to be about, about consistent development, because we’re not tied down to that playoff push where you have to win games.”

Ambassador started the season with four straight wins and then went 2-4, before bouncing back with its now current three-game win streak.

Taylor said some of that is playing a tough schedule, and some of it is having a first-year team with two seniors and six freshmen.

“What we hope,” he said, “is for our team to show growth.”

In the off-season, Taylor said Ambassador plans to apply to join the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, which would allow the Lions to eventually join a conference and play for a state championship.

But in the meantime, he just wants his team to keep growing — and keep developing.

“There’s some benefit to (being in the NCISAA),” he said. “There’s the credibility that being in association brings, and it helps with some of the national events we want to be in. And everybody wants to win, and being in an association, there are trophies attached to it. So I’m not shy saying we want to be in, but ultimately I’m about what’s best for our school and our other athletic programs. But we do have big goals here, and I want to help this thing grow.”

Burlington Christian 62, Queens Grant 57: Burlington Christian (9-8) was down seven points heading into the fourth quarter but rallied to win in the final eight minutes led by Karon Watlington (17 points, four rebounds), Charles Chienggen Pur (16 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two steals) and Larry Blount (11 points, two rebounds, two assists).

Queens Grant (12-6) got 16 points, four rebounds from Ian Howard and 12 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals from Chase Smith.

Saturday’s #BIG5 top performers

JD Bowden, Ambassador Christian: In a 71-49 win over Durham’s Bull City Prep, Bowden had 20 ponts, seven assists, two rebounds and a block.

KJ Burke, N.C. Good Better Best: In a 62-49 win over Mooresville’s Langtree Charter School, Burke had 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a block for N.C. Good Better Best, a basketball-focused private school in Durham.

Jordan King, Charlotte Performance Institute: CPI came up shot, losing 70-67 to Oak Ridge (Virginia) Military, but King had a game-high 33 points and added three rebounds, two steals plus a block and an assist.

Cameron Newman, Gaston Christian: In a 57-51 win over Heritage, Newman had 38 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists. He made eight 3-point shots.

Sam Vanderhave, Charlotte Country Day girls: Vanderhave had a game-high 22 points in a 70-34 win over Raleigh Ravenscroft. Country Day (13-5) won its second straight game and its third in four tries.

Saturday’s girls’ box scores

CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 70, RALEIGH RAVENSCROFT 34

CCDS 17 18 14 21 — 70

Raleigh Ravenscroft 9 3 13 9 — 34

COUNTRY DAY 70 — Margaret Blythe 14, Olive Bigham 19, Sam Vanderhave 22, Evelyn Turner 11, Bharti 4

Records: CCDS 13-5

PROVIDENCE DAY 58, GREENSBORO DAY 50

Providence Day 13 15 14 16 — 58

Greensboro Day 10 15 11 14 — 50

PROVIDENCE DAY 58 — Ginny Anne Dumont 16 Layla Clark 13 Updyke 2 Carson 4 Ramsden 7 O’Malley 7 Glosson 3 Fyans 6

GREENSBORO DAY 50 — Candice Williams 15 Liz Wyrick 14 Snipes 9 White 4 Collins 4 Grasty 2 Joseph 2

Record: PDS 13-6

Saturday’s boys’ box scores

AMBASSADOR CHRISTIAN 71, BULL CITY PREP 49

AMBASSADOR CHRISTIAN 71 — JD Bowden 20, Judah King 15, Johnson 4, Guess 3, Deluca 3, Golphin 9, Franklin 7, Brown 8

BULL CITY PREP 49 — Ty Graham 15, Fludd 2, Stephano Farrington 12, Alao 4, Chen 7, Julian 9

BURLINGTON CHRISTIAN 62, QUEEN’S GRANT 57

QUEENS GRANT 57 — Montgomery 4, Scott 4, Smith 5, White 2, DeBerry 6, Allen 9, Chase Smith 12, Ian Howard 16

BURLINGTON CHRISTIAN 62 — Robinson 6, Watlington 17, Dorsey 6, Blount 11, Charles Chienggan Pur 16, Bethea 4, Mace 2

GASTON CHRISTIAN 57, HERITAGE 51

GASTON CHRISTIAN 57 — Mabor Marier 3, Williams 2, Cameron Newman 38, Duhon 3, Joy 4, Luperia 4

HERITAGE 51 — Montera 3, Jones 7, Mwanda 5, Ryder Strand 13, Levi Beckwith 23

GASTON DAY 57, CAROLINA INTERNATIONAL 52

GASTON DAY 57 — Kimrey 5, Coulter 3, Gerould 2, Griffen Simpson 11, Britt 3, Fields 2, Braylen todd 15, Dylan Bradley 16

CAROLINA INTERNATIONAL 52 — Leak 2, Salter 6, Landon Griffin 16, KJ Shouse 19, Bridges 9

NC GOOD BETTER BEST 62, LANGTREE CHARTER 49

LANGTREE CHARTER 49 — Martynas Petrauskas 19, Munters 7, Aiden Gelpke 10, Brawley 8, Sanchez 4

NCGBB 62 — Devin Sims 10, Malcolm McNeil 10, Robinson 6, Long 6, KJ Burke 31, McGhee 3

OAK RIDGE MILITARY 70, CHARLOTTE PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE 67

OAK RIDGE 70 — Juda Crowell 14, Shelf 2, Sissoko 2, Dowling 6, Joel Deinga 12, Anderson 6, Synaris Twitty 27

CHARLOTTE PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE 67 — Jordan King 33, Pryor 4, Jackson 2, Mangabu 9

RAVENSCROFT 58, CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 54

Durham Academy 15 14 14 15 — 58

Country Day 7 16 17 14 — 54

COUNTRY DAY 65 — DJ Lindsey 18, Youakim 16, Lowery 8, Diaz 5, Clark 4, Schulze 3

RAVENSCROFT 58 — Chance Gladden 38, Moore 9, Stewart 4, Carroll 3, Diggs 2, Ulicny 2

Records: Charlotte Country Day 11-8, Ravenscroft 10-7

Saturday’s results

Ambassador Classic (boys)

(at Ambassador Christian)

Ambassador Christian 71, Bull City Prep 49

Burlington Christian 62, Queen’s Grant 57

N.C. Good Better Best 62, Langtree Charter 49

Gaston Christian 57, Heritage Christian 51

Gaston Day 57, Carolina International School 52

Oak Ridge (Virginia) Military 70, Charlotte Performance Institute 67

Nonconference

Charlotte Country Day girls 70, Raleigh Ravenscroft 34

Durham Academy 72, Charlotte Christian 56

High Point Christian 77, Davidson Day 75

Germantown (TN) Houston girls 56, Jackson Day 41

1 of 1 Academy 67, Charlottesville (Virginia) Miller School 59

Providence Athletic Club (S.C.) at South Charlotte Thunder, late

Providence Day girls 58, Greensboro Day 50

Ravenscroft boys 58, Charlotte Country Day 54

Reidsville 73, Corvian Community 66

Victory Christian 92, Elevation Prep 30

Friday’s girls’ rewind: Mallard Creek rallies past North Meck on the road

Mallard Creek head coach Karlyn Dixon knew Friday’s girls high school basketball matchup at nearby rival North Mecklenburg would be challenging. After all, both teams were ranked among the state’s top five in the most recent N.C. state rankings.

But Dixon’s Mavericks, No. 3 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, had to rally from as much as a 14-point first-half deficit and survived a late scare in taking a 54-52 victory at the packed North Mecklenburg gymnasium. North Meck is No. 4 in The Sweet 16.

“I think that’s a testament to our growth and maturity,” said Dixon, whose team trailed by a game-high 29-15 with 2 minutes, 14 seconds left in the opening half and 33-20 at the break. “In the past, if we had been down that many points, we may have folded. But we came back with energy and defense.”

Mallard Creek opened the third quarter on a 23-4 surge to take its largest lead (43-37) with 1:20 to play in the third quarter. But North Mecklenburg coach Jennifer Baker’s team regained its footing and the Vikings even took a 51-48 lead with 3:43 to play and had a chance to force overtime when senior Kameron Smith was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 0.3 seconds left.

Smith hit 1 of 3 free throws and Mallard Creek (11-2, 3-0) left with the Queen City 3A/4A Conference victory. North Mecklenburg fell to 8-2, 1-1.

“Playing at North Meck is always tough,” Dixon said. “The gym was crowded and hot and they played a great game.”

▪ Kiara Anderson had 16 points (10 in the third quarter), Elle Stone 14 (nine in the third quarter) and My’Asia Young 10 (six in the fourth quarter) to lead Mallard Creek. Sophomore Lenise Joseph had a game-high 23 points (14 in the first half) to pace the Vikings.

Friday’s #BIG5 top performers

Margaret Blythe, Charlotte Country Day: Blythe had a game-high 26 points in a 76-44 win over Durham Academy.

Abby Courtney, Lake Norman Charter: Courtney had a game-high 25 points in a 66-55 win over Central Cabarrus.

Hannah Moss, Butler: In a 75-32 win over East Mecklenburg, Moss had 15 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. She was one of four Bulldogs in double figures.

Bri’Asia Rowe, West Charlotte: In a 71-36 win over Hopewell, Rowe had 25 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists.

Charlotte Tune, Charlotte Latin: Tune had a game-high 20 points in a 67-25 win over Hammond (SC).

Friday’s girls’ box scores

BUTLER 75, EAST MECKLENBURG 32

Butler 24 22 10 19 — 75

East Meck 4 9 11 8 — 32

BUTLER 75 — Chloe Ross 20, Brooklyn Saunders 16, Hannah Moss 15, Eshe Muhammad 14, Park 4, Hanson 3, Campbell 2

Notable: Butler got big games from Chloe Ross (20 points, eight rebounds), Brooklyn Saunders (16 points, six rebounds, five assists, five steals), Hannah Moss (15 points, seven assists, six rebounds, five steals) and Eshe Muhammad (14 points, six steals, four assists).

CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 76, DURHAM ACADEMY 44

Charlotte Country Day 22 25 17 12 — 76

Durham Academy 8 17 8 11 — 44

CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 76 — Margaret Blythe 26, Olive Bigham 22, Sam Vanderhave 22, Bharti 2, Starnes 4, Crane 2, Little 2

Record: CCDS 12-5

Notable: Senior Margaret Blythe scored her 1,000th point or Charlotte Country Day School.

CHARLOTTE LATIN 67, HAMMOND 25

Charlotte Latin 23 14 9 21 — 67

Hammond 2 9 9 5 — 25

CHARLOTTE LATIN 67— Charlotte Tune 20, Lanie Edwards 19, Hume 6, Synder 5, Roberts, 4 Archibald 4, Burns 3, Webb 4, McLaughlin 2, Amin 2, Nadeau 2

HAMMOND 25 — Hailey Inman 11, Miller, 6 Earle 5, Moore 2, Thompson 1

EAST LINCOLN 59, STATESVILLE 13

East Lincoln 8 16 16 19 — 59

Statesville 6 2 0 5 — 13

EAST LINCOLN 59 — Emma Montanari 17, Lane Pethel 13, Taniyah Thomas 13, M. Matz 5, G. Lawless 3, S. Dann 3, B. Miller 2, H. ledford 2, A. See 1

STATESVILLE 13 — S. Anderson 3, A. Waugh 2, T. Allison 2, S. Davidson 2, T. Reid 2, C. Ward 1, J. Glover 1

Noteables: For East Lincoln, Emma Montanari (17 points, six rebounds, four steals, three assists, three blocks); Taniyah Thomas (13 points, 13 steals, two rebounds, one assist) and Lane Pethel (13 points, nine rebounds).

Records: Statesville 5-6, 0-2 (at Foard Jan. 7); East Lincoln 9-3 2-0 (vs. West Iredell Jan. 7)

HICKORY RIDGE 66, AL BROWN 21

AL Brown 2 6 3 10 — 21

Hickory Ridge 17 21 10 18 — 66

AL BROWN 21 — Gray 15, Buster 4, McNeely 2

HICKORY RIDGE 66 — Powell 19, Gidney 12, Duley 11, Leathers 8, Hamilton 4, Watkins 4, Johnson 4, Ritter 4

Notable: For Hickory Ridge, Jada Powell had a season-high 19 points, and Miranda Duley added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Records: AL Brown 4-7, Hickory Ridge 9-4

LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 66, CENTRAL CABARRUS 55

LNC 15 16 14 21 — 66

CC 14 15 14 12 — 55

LNC 66 – Abby Courtney 25, Caroline Mercuri 21, Reece Long 18, Lucy Courtney 2

CC 55 – Burton 17, Nix 14, Blanchard 7, Osorio 7, Pickett 6, Hill 4

CC 55 — Daniyah Burton 17, Myajah Nix 16, Pickett 6, Osorio 5, Blanchard 7, Estrada-Hill 4

MALLARD CREEK 54, NORTH MECKLENBURG 52

Mallard Creek 12 8 26 8 — 54

North Mecklenburg 18 15 9 10 — 52

MALLARD CREEK 54 — McGuire 3, My’Asia Young 10, J. Stone 7, Kiara Anderson 16, Elle Stone 14, Robertson 4

NORTH MECKLENBURG 52 — Mobley 3, Pimentel 5, Reid 3, Smith 7, Hoover 7, Knox 2, Lenise Joseph 23, Coyour 2

Records: Mallard Creek 11-2; North Mecklenburg 8-2

Notable: Mallard Creek senior Elle Stone finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Junior Kiara Anderson had 16 points, five rebounds, three steals and three assists. Junior My’Asia Young had 10 points, four rebounds, three steals.

MONROE 58, PIEDMONT 48

Monroe 12 15 16 15 — 58

Piedmont 11 11 12 14 — 48

Notable: For Monroe, Janiyah Boyd had 37 points, 11 rebounds and Summer Jones added nine points, eight rebounds.

OLYMPIC 58, BALLANTYNE RIDGE 24

Ballantyne Ridge 5 4 8 7 — 24

Olympic 16 19 14 9 — 58

BALLANTYNE RIDGE 24 — Natanya Chando 7, Giana Love 6, Nataliyah Agbewali 5, Alayna Holgorsen 3, Taylynn Holnagel 2, Kaiya Dodson 1

OLYMPIC 58 — James 10, Terry 9, Shaw 8, Walker 7, Wannamaker 7, Jasmyn A 6, Jackson 6, Wilkerson 2

PIEDMONT CHARTER 66, SUGAR CREEK CHARTER 18

Sugar Creek: 1 5 10 2 — 18

Piedmont: 12 18 18 18 — 39

SUGAR CREEK 18 — Taylor Thompson 6, Allure Bishop 3, Darolyn Hernandez 3, Taylor Polk 3, Infiniti Green 2

PIEDMONT 39 — Bree Phillips 19, Allasha Houser 13, Aniya Jones 10, Evie East 6, Aubree Cammer 5, Erielle Smith 4, Aalaysia Friday 3, Natalie Faris 2, Julianna East 2, Olivia Ballard 2

PINECREST 53, PROVIDENCE 42

Providence 10 12 15 5 — 42

Pinecrest 17 6 9 21 — 53

PROVIDENCE 42 — Avery Detenber 7, Anna Fillnow 10, Elliott Stafford 14, Emma Fuller 6, Marlee Whitten 2, Claire Page 3

PINECREST 53 — Sarah Tepatti 4, Ava Wondervall 2, Aniya McGregor 20, Kennedy Moore 27

Records: Pinecrest 6-7; Providence 3-11

Notable: Providence’s Emma Fuller had six points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Elliott Stafford (14 points, six rebounds, four steals) and Anna Fillnow (10 points, five steals) had strong games.

RALEIGH GRACE CHRISTIAN 55, PROVIDENCE DAY 21

Providence Day 5 4 7 5 — 21

Grace Christian 20 14 11 10 — 55

PROVIDENCE DAY 55 — Dumont 6 Stuart 4 Clark 2 Carson 1 Ramsden 4 Dennison 3 O’Malley 1

GRACE CHRISTIAN 55 — Jordan Speller 10 Kj English 11 Frost 7 Magbo 7 Whitley 9 Smith 2 Roman 2 Shojgren 3 Huges 4

Record: Providence Day 12-6

ROCKY RIVER 51, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 40

Charlotte Catholic 5 8 13 14 — 40

Rocky River 11 11 13 16 — 51

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 40 — Maggie Kernodle 20, Lupinski 7, Fey 4, Shea 4, Farrell 3, Hoefling 1

ROCKY RIVER 51 —Tristin Jarret 12, Montgomery 10, Bell 7, Michael 3, Byrd 2, Spears 2

Records: Catholic 6-7; Rocky River 8-3

SOUTH POINT 55, COX MILL 44

South Point 14 16 18 7 — 55

Cox Mill 8 13 13 10 — 44

SOUTH POINT 55 — Amya Graham 35, Claire Frank 7, Sally Risk 7, Jossilyn Wallace 2, Dajshia Foust 2, Toney Milton 2

COX MILL 44 — Maddie A. 13, Lauren F. 13, Josie B. 9, Hailey H. 7, Alyssa L. 2

Notable: South Point’s Amya Graham (35 points, 10 rebounds) had a double-double. Rowen Trexler had six assists, and Claire Frank had five.

Records: South Point 9-2; Cox Mill 4-9

WEST CHARLOTTE 71, HOPEWELL 36

Hopewell 5 15 5 9 — 36

West Charlotte 17 14 20 20 — 71

HOPEWELL 36 — Troutman 4, Osborne 6, Farley 2, Wallace 15, Howe 9

WEST CHAROTTE 71 — Jonnae Bennett 11 , Kenya Grier 11, C. Stitt 7, T. Blocker 2, Bri’Asia Rowe 25 , M. Huey 4 , P. Reaves 6 , H. McLeod 3 , M. Ginn 2

Notables: West Charlotte got big games from Bri’Asia Rowe (25 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, three steals, two assists); Jonnae Bennett (11 points, four steals, four assists, two rebounds) and Kenya Grier (11 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, four steals, four assists).

WESTMINSTER CATAWBA 53 YORK PREP 29

Westminster Catawba 18 16 7 12 — 53

York Prep 2 2 12 13 — 29

Westminster Catawba 52 — Addison Sanders 2, Bella Sherer 7, Leah Ross 23, Kaylani LaDay 2, Myana Fore 19

York Prep 29 — E Cruze 3, A Stowers 6, J Francis 17, L Myrup 2, Q Burris 1

Record: 5-6

Notables: Westminster Catawba’s Leah Ross is only 129 points way from the 1,000-point career mark. Teammate Myana Fore had her fourth straight double-digit scoring game.

Friday roundup

Butler 75, East Mecklenburg 32: Chloe Ross (20 points, eight rebounds) and Brooklyn Saunders (16 points, five assists and five steals) paced the Bulldogs to a lopsided Southwestern 4A triumph.

Charlotte Country Day 76, Durham Academy 44: The visiting Buccaneers raced to a 22-8 lead after one quarter and pulled away from there. Margaret Blythe scored 26 points and passed the 1,000-point mark for her career.

East Lincoln 59, Statesville 13: The Mustangs (10-3, 3-0 Western Foothills 3A) got 17 points, six rebounds, four steals, three blocks and three assists from Emma Montanari. Taniyah Thomas added 13 points and 13 steals. East Lincoln forced 34 Statesville turnovers.

Hickory Ridge 66, A.L. Brown 21: Jada Powell’s 19 points led Hickory Ridge to a Greater Metro 4 4A victory. Miranda Duley added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Jackson Day 59, Norcross (GA) Wesleyan 55: Jackson Day won its opener in the weekend-long She Got Game Classic in Atlanta, behind 20 points from Courtney Ashford and 19 points and nine rebounds from Laylah Toscano.

Lake Norman Charter 66, Central Cabarrus 55: Abby Courtney (25 points) and Caroline Mercuri (21) paced the Knights in their South Piedmont 3A win. Daniyah Burton led the Vikings with 17.

Metrolina Christian 49, Hickory Grove Christian 31: Lauren Feaster had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Lions in their Metrolina Athletic Conference loss.

Olympic 58, Ballantyne Ridge 24: Chaya James had 10 points and seven rebounds, and nine Olympic players scored in their SoMeck 4A victory.

Pinecrest 53, Providence 42: The Panthers traveled to the Sandhills and suffered a setback. Emma Fuller had 10 rebounds and four blocks for Providence.

Rocky River 51, Charlotte Catholic 40: Tristin Jarrett scored 12 points, and the Ravens (9-3, 2-1) scored a big Southwestern 4A victory. The loss was Charlotte Catholic’s first in four conference games.

Rocky River hosts Butler (3-0 in league play) on Tuesday night.

Sanford Grace Christian 55, Providence Day 21: The host Crusaders (9-4), defending NCISAA Division-2 state champions, rolled over the Chargers (12-6). Grace Christian led 20-5 after the first quarter.

South Mecklenburg 51, Ballantyne Ridge 41: Chloe Grant’s 13 points led the Sabres to a SoMeck 4A victory. K.B. Brown added 11 points and six assists, and Chloe Cleophat had five steals.

West Charlotte 71, Hopewell 36: The Lions cruised to a Queen City 3A-4A victory, as Bri’Acia Rowe totaled 25 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Charlotte-area previews

SATURDAY

(boys) Corvian Community (3-5) vs. Reidsville (8-0), in Ed Price Classic at High Point Andrews High, 8 p.m. — This could be a stellar matchup. Ignore Corvian’s record, as several of the Cardinals’ basketball regulars were on the football team that played until just before Christmas. The Cardinals have won three in a row, with sophomore R.J. Moore Jr. (28.1 points per game) and Malachi McCutcheon (7.9 rebounds per game) leading the way. Corvian, the 1A state runner-up last season, looks like a state title contender again. Reidsville, meanwhile, is arguably the best team in the state so far, regardless of size classification. The Rams are led by junior Dionte Neal (24.6 ppg) and senior Johnnyius Sharpe (21.6 ppg).

(boys) Gaston Day (12-5) vs. Carolina International School (9-3), in Ambassador Christian New Year’s Showcase, 4:30 p.m. — This is one of the top contests in the six-game showcase at Ambassador Christian. Gaston Day’s DeShawn Coulter (13.6 ppg) and Dyland Bradley (13.5 ppg) face a Comet club that looks to challenge Queen’s Grant Charter and Corvian Community for the area’s 1A supremacy. K.J. Shouse Jr., a 6-4 junior, leads the Comets with 18.6 points a game. He is shooting 60 percent from the floor.

Another feature game in this showcase has Queen’s Grant Charter (12-5) facing Burlington Christian (8-8) at 6 p.m.

(girls) Providence Day (12-5) at Sanford Grace Christian (8-4), 2:30 p.m. — Providence Day is red-hot, having won 10 in a row before Friday’s play. Ginny Anne Dumont (15.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) has been leading the Chargers. Sophomores Jordan Speller (13.8 ppg) and Kyndoll English (10.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg) lead Grace Christian, filling in for the departure of last season’s N.C. Player of the Year, Sarah Strong, now playing at UConn.

Weekend results, schedule

(unless otherwise listed, all matchups are girls-boys doubleheaders, with girls’ games starting at 6 p.m.)

Friday’s girls’ scores

Queen City 3A-4A

Harding at Chambers

Hough 54, West Mecklenburg 21

Mallard Creek 54, North Mecklenburg 52

West Charlotte 71, Hopewell 36

SoMeck 4A

Ardrey Kell 54, Berry Academy 31

Olympic 58, Ballantyne Ridge 24

South Mecklenburg 51, Palisades 41

Southwestern 4A

Butler 75, East Mecklenburg 32

Garinger at Independence

Rocky River 51, Charlotte Catholic 40

Greater Metro 4 4A

Hickory Ridge 66, A.L. Brown 21

South Piedmont 3A

East Rowan 49, South Rowan 26

Jay M. Robinson 68, Concord 26

Lake Norman Charter 66, Central Cabarrus 55

Northwest Cabarrus 66, West Rowan 18

Western Foothills 3A

East Lincoln 59, Statesville 13

Fred T. Foard 73, West Iredell 8

North Iredell 55, St. Stephens 43

North Lincoln at Hickory

Rocky River 2A-3A

Central Academy at Anson County

Monroe 58, Piedmont 48

West Stanly 54, Parkwood 32

Metrolina Athletic Conference

Metrolina Christian 49, Hickory Grove Christian 31

Southern Piedmont 1A-2A

Bessemer City 68, East Gaston 28

Cherryville at Burns

Thomas Jefferson Academy 62, Highland Tech 11

Metro 1A

Piedmont Charter 66, Sugar Creek Charter 18

Nonconference

Charlotte Christian at Ravenscroft School

Charlotte Country Day 76, Durham Academy 44

Charlotte Latin 67, Hammond School (SC) 25

Cuthbertson 56, Buford (SC) 21

Forest Hills 65, South Stanly 21

Jackson Day 59, Norcross (GA) Wesleyan 55

Pinecrest 53, Providence 42

Sanford Grace Christian 55, Providence Day 21

South Point 55, Cox Mill 44

Weddington 59, Nation Ford 37

Other area results

Lexington 60, West Davidson 46

McDowell County 50, South Caldwell 23

North Rowan 43, Jesse Carson 27

R-S Central 37, Brevard 31

Salisbury 50, East Davidson 29

West Wilkes 61, Wilkes Central 22

This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.