There wasn’t much of a showdown in “Mo-town” Wednesday night.
Arch rivals Lake Norman and Mooresville high schools are about six miles apart and no matter what sport their teams are competing in, it’s for bragging rights in the city.
Lake Norman’s Samantha Shehan, left, steals the ball from Mooresville’s Riley Parker, right, during action on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Lake Norman High School. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
At least in the first of at least two basketball meetings this season, Lake Norman’s boys and girls left no doubt who was the best team in town.
Lake Norman’s Trent Steinour celebrates a play during action against Mooresville on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Lake Norman High School. Lake Norman defeated Mooresville 99-71. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
No N.C. 4A school has won boys’ and girls’ NCHSAA 4A state championships in the same season since Morganton’s Freedom High School did in 1994, but this season, the Wildcats appear to have a real chance.
Lake Norman girls roll
Lake Norman won its seventh game in a row, to improve to 15-1 overall and 6-0 in Greater Metro 4A play, after taking a 45-4 first quarter lead on Mooresville (6-10, 2-4).
Mooresville, which had a two-game win streak snapped, was never in the game, which saw Lake Norman get 17 points each from Kaiya Bond, Alexis Shehan and Rayana Minard.
Lake Norman’s Alexis Shehan gives directions to her teammates during action against Mooresville on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Lake Norman High School. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
McKinnon leads Lake Norman’s boys to showcase win
Tre McKinnon scored a season-high 31 points to lead Lake Norman boys in a battle of conference unbeatens.
Lake Norman’s Tre McKinnon, right, glides down the lane past Mooresville defender Chanse Bost, left, during action on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Lake Norman High School. Lake Norman defeated Mooresville 99-71. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Lake Norman (17-1, 6-0) won its eighth straight game and ended Mooresville’s 11-game win streak. The Blue Devils, who hadn’t lost since falling, 81-57, to North Mecklenburg Nov. 30, fell to 15-3, 5-1.
McKinnon, an App State commit, was surprised that he finished with 31 points, but he wasn’t surprised by the outcome of the game.
“I was trusting my teammates to find me,” McKinnon said. “Everybody had a good matchup except for me. They had two good guards but no wings, so I felt like I was going to have a good game.”
His teammates found him, but they also found the basket as Lake Norman had four players score in double digits.
Lake Norman’s Trent Steinour, center, fights to get position to move toward the basket during action against Mooresville on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Lake Norman High School. Lake Norman defeated Mooresville 99-71. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Lake Norman center and Clemson commit Trent Steinour finished with 26 points and guards Nick Arnold and Josh Yayes scored 15 points apiece.
Mooresville kept the game close in the first half with physical play and went into halftime trailing 43-39. But its players looked gassed and couldn’t keep up with a bigger Lake Norman team.
The Wildcats took advantage and pushed their lead to 21 by the end of the third quarter.
Halfway through the fourth, McKinnon put the dagger into Mooresville with a furious one-handed dunk to give Lake Norman a 31-point lead.
“We talked about two things at halftime, only two things,” Lake Norman coach Grant Hodges said. “We talked about rebounding and keeping them off the offensive glass and playing harder than they did.”
▪ Lake Norman will continue conference play at home versus A.L. Brown on Tuesday. Mooresville will travel to Cox Mill on Friday.
Photo galleries
Game summaries
LAKE NORMAN BOYS 99, MOORESVILLE 71
Mooresville 23 16 10 22 — 71
Lake Norman 25 28 30 26 — 99
MOORESVILLE 71 — Wilson 9, Ericson 12, Bryson Demby 12, C. Wilson, Clark 10, Bailey 2, Bost 4, I Bailey 2, Olyde 5, Schaen 6
LAKE NORMAN 99 — Josh Yates 15, Tre McKinnon 31, Noah Wilson 4, Taurean McKinnon 3, Nick Arnold 15, Trent Steinour 26, Will Hall 3, Braden Miller 2
Records: Lake Norman 17-1, 6-0 Greater Metro 4A; Mooresville 15-3, 5-1
LAKE NORMAN GIRLS 90, MOORESVILLE 29
Mooresville 4 9 4 12 — 29
Lake Norman 34 27 8 10 — 90
LAKE NORMAN 90 — Kaiya Bond 17, Kelsey Rhyne 13, Wilcox 2, Rayana Minard 17, Williams 2, Sherrill 8, Alexis Shehan 17, Samantha Shehan 13
Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.”Support my work with a digital subscription
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