Girls’ basketball rewind: Which Charlotte-area teams advanced to conference, state finals?
On a busy Tuesday night, multiple Charlotte-area teams punched their tickets to conference tournament and state championship finals:
▪ North Mecklenburg’s girls ran out to a 35-9 halftime lead and cruised to a 62-22 win over West Charlotte in the Queen City 3A/4A semifinals and will play Mallard Creek, which struggled but held off Hough, 64-61, in its semifinal.
The Mavericks will be without leading scorer and N.C. Ms. Basketball finalist Elle Stone for the remainder of the season. Stone and her sister, junior point guard Jazmeen Stone, both have suffered season-ending injuries. They have not played in any conference tournament games this week.
▪ Brooke Busby (18 points) and Madison Drayton (13) led Cannon School to a 54-45 win over Rabun Gap (GA) in the N.C. Independent Schools’ 4A semifinals. Cannon, the reigning state champ, advances to its third straight state championship game Saturday at Charlotte Latin. The Cougars will play High Point Wesleyan.
▪ Concord Academy got 30 points from freshman Justice Alexander and won its 14th game in a row, beating Greensboro Day 55-51 in the NC Independent Schools 3A semifinals. Concord Academy, the 2023 state 3A champion, will try for its second state title in three years and its third since 2021.
▪ Hickory Ridge’s girls, No. 8 in The Sweet 16, beat Cox Mill 77-40 in the Greater Metro 4A semifinals. The Ragin’ Bulls will face No. 1 Lake Norman in Friday’s championship. Lake Norman won 70-44 and 76-43 in two earlier meetings. Hickory Ridge will take a four-game win streak into Friday’s final.
Tuesday’s #BIG5 top performers
Justice Alexander, Concord Academy: High-level freshman had 30 points in a 55-51 win over Greensboro Day in the NCISAA 3A state semifinals.
Janiyah Boyd, Monroe: In the first round of the Rocky River tournament, Boyd had 28 points, six assists and five steals to lead the Redhawks to a 73-47 win over Central Academy.
Lenise Joseph, North Mecklenburg: In a 62-22 win over West Charlotte in the Queen City semifinals, Joseph had a game-high 27 points. After grabbing her 500th career rebound a week ago against Hopewell, the sophomore center scored her 1,500th point Tuesday.
Amya Leathers, Hickory Ridge: In a 77-40 win over Cox Mill in the Greater Metro 4A semifinals, Leathers had 23 points and six assists.
Sydney McGuire, Mallard Creek: A sophomore averaging three points per game, McGuire came up big in Tuesday’s 64-61 Queen City 3A/4A semifinal win over Hough. With Mavericks’ stars Elle Stone and Jazmeen Stone out for the season with injuries, McGuire came up big with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Tuesday’s capsules
SO MECK 4A quarterfinals
No. 2 Myers Park 49, No. 7 Ballantyne Ridge 22: The Mustangs raced to a 30-13 halftime lead and coasted into the semifinals, where they’ll face third-seeded South Mecklenburg.
No. 5 Olympic 33, No. 4 Palisades 29: Arianna Shaw scored 10 points as the Trojans advanced to a semifinal game against No. 1 seed Ardrey Kell.
GREATER METRO 4A semifinals
No. 1 Lake Norman 79, No. 4 West Cabarrus 34: Samantha Shehan scored 22 points, and Kelsey Rhyne and Rayana Minard each added 19 for the Wildcats, who will face No. 2 seed Hickory Ridge in the finals.
No. 2 Hickory Ridge 77, No. 3 Cox Mill 40: The Ragin’ Bulls built a 48-14 halftime lead and coasted. Amya Leathers scored 23 points and was among three players with 20 or more points.
SOUTHERN CAROLINA 4A semifinals
No. 2 Weddington 75, No. 3 Porter Ridge 55: Caroline Clark scored 29 points and led the Warriors (16-8) to the tournament championship game with top seed Marvin Ridge.
NCISAA PLAYOFF semifinals
Cannon School 54, Rabun Gap School 45: The Cougars (25-7) moved into Saturday’s 4A title game against High Point Wesleyan, as Brooke Busby scored 18 points and Madison Drayton added 13.
High Point Wesleyan 66, Providence Day 52: The Chargers’ state title hopes came to an end, despite 22 points from Ginny Anne Dumont. Providence Day finished with a 25-8 record.
Concord Academy 55, Greensboro Day 51: Freshman Justice Alexander scored 30 points, lifting Concord Academy (26-6) into Saturday’s 3A championship game against Sanford Grace Christian. Greensboro Day closed to within 53-51 in the final minute, but Quinn Hicks scored a clinching basket for the Eagles.
Victory Christian 82, Ridgecroft School 16: Victory Christian (13-9) moved into Saturday’s 1A state finals against Crossroads Christian.
BIG SOUTH 3A semifinals
No. 1 Stuart Cramer 54, No. 4 Ashbrook 36: Oshauna Holland led the Storm into the tournament title game, with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
No. 3 South Point 60, No. 2 Hunter Huss 54: The Raiders pulled a mild upset, as Ayma Graham totaled 29 points and 18 rebounds. Jaleila Littlejohn scored 21 for Huss.
SOUTH PIEDMONT 3A semifinals
No. 1 Jay M. Robinson 48, No. 5 Central Cabarrus 24: The Bulldogs cruised into the tournament finals, outscoring the Vikings 17-0 in the second quarter after being held to a 4-all tie in the first period.
No. 3 East Rowan 54, No. 2 Northwest Cabarrus 42: Kady Collins scored 13 points and led the Mustangs to a mild upset of Northwest Cabarrus. East Rowan will face Jay M. Robinson for the tournament title on Friday at Concord.
WESTERN FOOTHILLS 3A semifinals
No. 1 North Lincoln 58, No. 4 North Iredell 36: The Knights rolled to a 33-13 halftime lead and coasted to victory.
No. 2 East Lincoln 56, No. 3 Fred T. Foard 37: Lane Pethel had her 11th double-double of the season, with 14 points and 16 rebounds, as the Mustangs set up a third meeting this season with local rival North Lincoln — this time, for the conference tournament title. Taniyah Thomas scored a game-high 18 points for East Lincoln.
ROCKY RIVER 2A-3A quarterfinal
No. 2 Monroe 73, No. 7 Central Academy 47: A pair of freshmen led the way for Monroe, with Janiyah Boyd scoring 28 points and Samiyah Crowder grabbing 10 rebounds.
CATAWBA SHORES 1A-2A semifinals
No. 1 Lincoln Charter 54, No. 5 Mountain Island Charter 27: Taylor Riggenbach scored 20 points for the victorious Eagles, while Symphani Stevens added 15.
No. 2 Christ the King 54, No. 3 Community School of Davidson 45: The Crusaders earned a berth opposite Lincoln Charter in the conference tournament finals, as sophomore Rosie Gorman scored 16 points, freshman Lucy Gorman added 15, and freshman Anna Haynes scored 13.
YADKIN VALLEY 1A-2A semifinals
No. 2 Union Academy 57, No. 3 Mount Pleasant 18: The Cardinals built leads of 16-5 after one quarter and 38-8 at halftime, moving into the tournament finals against top-seeded Albemarle.
Tuesday’s girls’ box scores
NO. 1 LAKE NORMAN 79, WEST CABARRUS 34
Lake Norman 30 23 21 5 — 79
West Cabarrus 13 14 6 1 — 34
LAKE NORMAN 79 — Samantha Shehan 22, Rayana Minard 19, Kelsey Rhyne 19, Alexis Shehan 7, Addison Sirianni 4, Kaiya Bond 3, Kaylee Ellis 3, Adason Buoniconti 2
WEST CABARRUS 34 — A Silas 9, Z Neal 9, S White 7, L Griffon 4, A Wagner 3, J Simmons 2
Records: Lake Norman 23-1; West Cabarrus 12-13
NO. 2 NORTH MECKLENBURG 62, WEST CHARLOTTE 22
North Meck 15 20 25 2 — 62
West Charlotte 5 4 12 1 — 22
NORTH MECK 62 — Lenise Joseph 27, Morgan Knox 14, Hoover 9, Smith 3, Reid 2, Wilson 2, Coyour 2, Blake 1
WEST CHARLOTTE 22 — Generette 7, Grier 6, Bennett 2, Reaves 2, Moultrie 2
Notable: Sophomore Lenise Joseph scored her 1,000th career points. She also grabbed her career 500th rebound on 2/11/25 vs Hopewell
Up next: North Meck vs Mallard Creek in QCAC Championship on Friday at 6 p.m.
NO. 4 CANNON SCHOOL 54, RABUN GAP (GA) 45
Cannon School 17 15 11 11 — 54
Rabun Gap 10 17 10 8 — 45
CANNON SCHOOL 54 — Gaskin 7, Mccorkle 2, Thompson 9, Nakamura 2, J. Thompson 4, Madison Drayton 13, Brooke Busby 18
Records: Cannon School 25-7; Rabun Gap 16-12
Notes: Cannon School will be heading to its third consecutive NCISAA 4A state championship game.
NO. 5 CONCORD ACADEMY 55, GREENSBORO DAY 51
Concord Academy 16 3 22 14 — 55
Greensboro Day 9 15 7 20 — 51
CONCORD ACADEMY 55 — Justice Alexander 30, Quinn Hicks 8, Taylor Smith 7, Faith Bekich 5, Ava McDermott 3, Jayla Brower 2
GREENSBORO DAY 51 — Elizabeth Wyrick 13, Samantha Collins 11, Hannah Headen 11, Candice Williams 10, Isabella Snipes 4, Kaydann Joseph 2
Notable: Concord Academy (26-6) advances to the NCISAA 3A state championship game, Saturday at noon at Charlotte Latin. Greensboro Day ends its season at 21-10
NO. 8 MALLARD CREEK 64, HOUGH 61
Mallard Creek 12 13 22 17 — 64
Hough 17 13 15 16 — 61
MALLARD CREEK 64 — My’Asia Young 24, Kiara Anderson 18, Robertson 5, McGuire 15, Campbell 4
HOUGH 61 — C. Galombeck 30, S. Zoerb 11, Jakubecy 2, K. Breault 10, Jones 6, Otto 2
Notable: Hough’s Chloe Galombeck had 30 points. Mallard Creek got big games from My’Asia Young (24 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, one block), Kiara Anderson (18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists) and Sydney McGuire (15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists)
Records: Mallard Creek 23-3
NO. 11 HICKORY RIDGE 77, COX MILL 40
Cox Mill 10 4 14 12 — 40
Hickory Ridge 28 20 14 15 — 77
COX MILL 40 — Farrell 15, Saranu 10, Betz 5, Ligon 4, Harmer 2, Grant 2, Alexander 2
HICKORY RIDGE 77 — Leathers 23, Gidney 20, Ritter 20, Powell 7, Johnson 3, Duley 2, Watkins
Notable: Amya Leathers lead the Ragin Bulls with 23 points and six assist. Ma-Kaela Gidney added 20 points and eight steals. And Makaila Ritter had 20 points and five assists.
Records: Cox Mill 11-15, Hickory Ridge 19-7
NO. 13 MYERS PARK 49, BALLANTYNE RIDGE 22
Ballantyne Ridge 6 7 6 3 — 22
Myers Park 14 16 17 2 —49
BALLANTYNE RIDGE 22 — Dodson 9, Holgorsen 1, Agbewali 3, Chando 5, Brown 1, Love 3
MYERS PARK 49 —Amani Barner 17, Summer Thomason 12, Beekman 5, Evers 4, Christian 4, Cole 2, Hopkins 2, Pope 2, Porter 4
Records: Myers Park 13-12
EAST LINCOLN 56, FRED T. FOARD 37
Foard 10 9 14 4 — 37
East Lincoln 17 10 14 15 — 56
FOARD 37 — Jessica Bailey 12, Kinzer Abernathy 10, G. Sutcliffe 6, M. Penland 3, S. Rhoney 2, S. Young 2, L. Akel 2
EAST LINCOLN 56 — Taniyah Thomas 18, Lane Pethel 14, Emma Montanari 12, M. Matz 5, S. Dann 4, H. Ledford 3
Noteable: East Lincoln advanced to the WFAC 3A championship game behind strong performances from Lane Pethel (14 points, 16 rebounds, 11th double-double of the season), Taniyah Thomas (18 points, four steals, three assists, three rebounds) and Emma Montanari (12 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists). East Lincoln will face North Lincoln in the finals.
Records: East Lincoln 21-5; Foard 9-5
HIGH POINT WESLEYAN 66, NO. 3 PROVIDENCE DAY 52
Wesleyan 21 15 16 14 — 66
Providence Day 14 8 10 20 — 52
PROVIDENCE DAY 52 — Ginny Anne Dumont 22 Katelyn Ramsden 12 UpDyke 9 Clark 1 Stuart 2 Fyans 6
WESLEYAN 52 — WCooper Cox 17 Sara Kate Carr 12 Blythe Cunningham 10 Forrester 9 Jackson 9 Hawley 6 Nwobo 3
Record: PDS 25-8
LINCOLN CHARTER 54, MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHARTER 27
MICS 04 04 07 12 — 27
LCHS 11 14 13 16 — 54
MICS 27 — Fudge 8, Washington 6, Brown 5, Bridgewater 5, Cooke 2, Hart 1
LCHS 54 — Taylor Riggenbach 20, Symphani Stevens 15, Martha Guinle 09, Brenna Barbier 06, Lillie Merrill 02, Madison Johnson 02
Records LCHS 18-6; MICS 10-13
Notes: LCHS advances to Friday’s conference championship game Friday at Christ The King High School
MONROE 73, CENTRAL ACADEMY 47
Monroe 20 17 24 12 — 73
CATA 4 16 12 15 — 47
MONROE 73 — Janiyah Boyd 28, Bennett 9, Crowder 6
PIEDMONT CHARTER 63, CAROLINA INTERNATIONAL 17
Carolina International 6 4 3 4 — 17
Piedmont: 6 25 19 13 — 63
PIEDMONT CHARTER 63 — Allasha Houser 16, Bree Phillips 12, Julianna East 9, Allena Gaff 9, Natalie Faris 6, Zaniayah McCauley 4, Evie East 2, Erielle Smith 2, Aubree Cammer 2, Aalaysia Friday 2, Aniya Jones 1
SOUTH POINT 59, HUNTER HUSS 54
South Point 10 13 14 22 - 59
Huss 7 13 18 16 - 54
SOUTH POINT 59 - Amya Graham 29, Jossilyn Wallace 9, Rowen Trexler 7, Toney Milton 6, Claire Frank 5, Dajshia Foust 3
HUSS 54 - J. Littlejohn 21, B. Swann 14, S. McCoy 13, K. Griffin 2, J. Floyd 2
Notable: Amya Graham records another double double adding 18 rebounds to her 29 points. South Point will play at Cramer in the Big South Conference Tournament Championship Thursday pending the weather.
Records: South Point 18-6, 10-4; Huss 16-7, 12-2
WEDDINGTON 75, PORTER RIDGE 55
WEDDINGTON 75 — Caroline Clark 29, Bailey Page 13, Gabby Walker 11, Sydney Sitren 7
Notable: Weddington was 12 of 13 from the free throw line.
Tuesday’s results/schedule
Queen City 3A/4A
MONDAY
(girls’ quarterfinals)
(at Hough High)
No. 1 North Mecklenburg 70, No. 8 West Mecklenburg 5
No. 2 Mallard Creek 81, No. 7 Harding 29
No. 3 Hough 70, No. 6 Hopewell 31
No. 4 West Charlotte d. No. 5 Chambers, score NA
TUESDAY
(at Chambers)
(girls’ semifinals)
No. 1 North Mecklenburg 62, No. 4 West Charlotte 22
No. 2 Mallard Creek 64, No. 3 Hough 61
FRIDAY
(championships)
No. 1 North Mecklenburg (23-2) vs. No. 2 Mallard Creek (23-3), 6 p.m.
SoMeck 4A
(at Myers Park)
TUESDAY
(girls’ quarterfinals)
No. 3 South Mecklenburg 75, No. 6 Berry 21
No. 2 Myers Park 49, No,. 7 Ballantyne Ridge 22
No. 5 Olympic 33, No. 4 Palisades 29
THURSDAY
(girls’ semifinals)
No. 3 South Mecklenburg (21-4) vs. No. 2 Myers Park (13-12), 5:30 p.m. (Gym 2)
No. 1 Ardrey Kell (16-8) vs. No. 5 Olympic (9-16), 6 p.m. (Gym 1)
FRIDAY
Girls’ final, 6 p.m. (Gym 1)
Southwestern 4A
(all games at Charlotte Catholic)
MONDAY
(girls quarterfinals)
Butler, bye
No. 2 Charlotte Catholic 69, No. 7 Garinger 20
No. 3 Providence 48, No. 6 Independence 32
No. 4 Rocky River 69, No. 5 East Mecklenburg 37
THURSDAY
(girls semifinals)
No. 1 Butler (21-2) vs. No. 4 Rocky River (13-7), 3:30 p.m.
No. 2 Charlotte Catholic (16-9) vs. No. 3 Providence (11-14), 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
(championship)
girls semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
Greater Metro 4A
MONDAY
(girls quarterfinals)
No. 1 Lake Norman, bye
No. 2 Hickory Ridge 76, AL Brown 18
No. 3 Cox Mill 46, South Iredell 27
No. 5 West Cabarrus 55, No. 4 Mooresville 41
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
(at Lake Norman)
(girls) No. 1 Lake Norman 79, No. 5 West Cabarrus 34
(at Cox Mill)
(girls) No. 2 Hickory Ridge 77, No. 3 Cox Mill 40
FRIDAY
(girls’ championship at Cox Mill)
No. 2 Hickory Ridge (19-7) vs. No. 1 Lake Norman (23-1), 6
Southern Carolina 4A
(at Sun Valley)
TUESDAY
(girls semifinals)
No. 1 Marvin Ridge 71, No. 4 Cuthbertson 30
No. 2 Weddington 75, No. 3 Porter Ridge 55
FRIDAY
(girls’ championship)
No. 2 Weddington (16-8) vs. No. 1 Marvin Ridge (20-5), 6 p.m.
Big South 3A
TUESDAY
(girls semifinals)
No. 1 Stuart Cramer 54, No. 4 Ashbrook 36
No. 3 South Point 59, No. 2 Hunter Huss 54
THURSDAY
(girls’ championship)
No. 3 South Point (18-6) at No. 1 Stuart Cramer (23-2), 6 p.m.
South Piedmont 3A
MONDAY
(girls’ quarterfinals)
No. 1 Jay M. Robinson 64, No. 8 South Rowan 23
No. 2 Northwest Cabarrus 52, No. 7 Carson 31
No. 3 East Rowan 72, No. 6 Concord 32
No. 5 Central Cabarrus 62, No. 4 Lake Norman Charter 51
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
(at Jay M. Robinson)
No. 1 Jay M Robinson 48, No. 5 Central Cabarrus 24
(at Concord)
No. 3 East Rowan 54, No. 2 Northwest Cabarrus 42
FRIDAY
(at Concord)
(girls’ championship)
No. 1 Jay M Robinson (22-4) vs. No. 3 East Rowan (21-5), 6 p.m.
Western Foothills 3A
MONDAY
(girls quarterfinals)
No. 1 North Lincoln 73, West Iredell 15
No. 2 East Lincoln 72, No. 7 Statesville 35
No. 3 Fred T. Foard 50, No. 6 St. Stephens 45
No. 4 North Iredell 40, Hickory 38
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
North Lincoln 58, North Iredell 36
East Lincoln 56, Fred T. Foard 37
THURSDAY
(championship at Statesville)
No. 2 East Lincoln (21-5) vs. No. 1 North Lincoln (24-1), 6 p.m.
Rocky River 2A-3A
TUESDAY’S QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Piedmont def. No. 4 West Stanly
No. 2 Monroe 73, No. 7 Central Academy 47
No. 3 Parkwood def. No. 6 Anson County
THURSDAY
(semifinals)
No. 1 Forest Hills vs. No. 5 Piedmont,4 p.m.
No. 2 Monroe vs. No. 3 Parkwood, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY
(girls’ championship)
semifinal winner, 6 p.m.
Catawba Valley 2A
MONDAY
(girls’ quarterfinals)
No. 1 East Burke 80, West Lincoln 15
No. 2 Maiden 65, West Caldwell 30
No. 3 Newton-Conover 68, Bunker Hill 37
No. 4 Bandys 71, No. 5 Lincolnton 50
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
No. 1 East Burke 57, No. 4 Bandys 38
No. 2 Maiden 52, No. 3 Newton-Conover 40
WEDNESDAY
(championship, site TBD)
East Burke (25-1) vs. Maiden (22-4), 6 p.m.
Catawba Shores 1A/2A
(quarterfinals at campus sites; semifinals and finals at Christ the King)
MONDAY
(girls’ quarterfinals)
No. 2 Christ The King 48, Corvian Community 16
No. 3 Community School of Davidson 64, Pine Lake Prep 35
No. 5 Mountain Island Charter 43, No. 4 Bradford Prep 34
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
No. 1 Lincoln Charter 54, No. 5 Mountain Island Charter 27
No. 2 Christ The King 54, No. 3 Community School of Davidson 45
FRIDAY
(championship)
Lincoln Charter (18-6) vs. Christ the King (20-5), 6 p.m.
Southern Piedmont 1A-2A
MONDAY
(quarterfinals)
No. 4 Bessemer City 66, No. 5 Cherryville 29
No. 2 Shelby 64, No. 7 East Gaston 30
No. 3 Burns 57, No. 6 Highland Tech 44
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
No. 1 Thomas Jeffferson Academy 62, No. 4 Bessemer City 36
No. 2 Shelby 57, No. 3 Burns 51
FRIDAY
(championship; site TBA)
No. 2 Shelby (18-7) vs. No. 1 Thomas Jefferson Academy (18-6), 6 p.m.
Yadkin Valley 1A-2A
(quarterfinals at campus sites; semifinals and finals at Mount Pleasant)
MONDAY
(girls quarterfinals)
No. 3 Mount Pleasant 53, Gray Stone Day 23
No. 4 North Stanly 33, South Stanly 21
TUESDAY
(semifinals)
No. 1 Albemarle 72, No. 4 North Stanly 21
No. 2 Union Academy 57, No. 3 Mount Pleasant 18
FRIDAY
(championship)
No. 1 Albemarle (21-4) vs. No. 2 Union Academy (21-1), 6 p.m.
Metro 1A
TUESDAY
(quarterfinals)
No. 5 Valor Prep (3-17) at No. 4 Sugar Creek Charter (9-13), 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Piedmont Charter 63, No. 6 Carolina International 17
THURSDAY
(semifinals)
Valor Prep/Sugar Creek Charter winner at No. 1 Queen’s Grant Charter (18-4), 6 p.m.
No. 3 Piedmont Community (14-9) at No. 2 Jackson Day (18-9), 6 p.m.
FRIDAY
(at Jackson Day)
Girls’ finals, 6 p.m.
NCISAA girls state tournament
CLASS 4A
Tuesday’s semifinals
Cannon School 54, Rabun Gap (GA) 45
High Point Wesleyan 66, Providence Day 52
Saturday’s state final at Charlotte Latin
Cannon School (25-7) vs. High Point Wesleyan (25-6), 3 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Tuesday’s semifinals
Grace Christian 70, Asheville School 54
Concord Academy 55, Greensboro Day 51
Saturday’s state final at Charlotte Latin, noon
Concord Academy (26-6) vs. Grace Christian (21-4)
CLASS 2A
Tuesday’s semifinals
Rocky Mount Academy 73, Freedom Christian 44
Caldwell Academy 43, Trinity Christian 39
Friday’s state final at Providence Day, 5:30 p.m.
Caldwell Academy (12-5) vs. Rocky Mount Academy (21-0)
CLASS 1A
Tuesday’s semifinals
Crossroads Christian 44, Lawrence Academy 42
Victory Christian 82, Ridgecroft School 16
Saturday’s state final at Charlotte Latin, 6 p.m.
Victory Christian (13-9) vs. Crossroads Christian (15-2)
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM.
