Queen’s Grant basketball surges past West Charlotte on Monday in intense showdown
More than a decade ago, Queen’s Grant coach Joe Badgett was at Northside Christian and helped coach one of the best high school basketball teams in Mecklenburg County history.
In 2014, Northside Christian won the N.C. state tournament, gave Ben Simmons, D’Angelo Russell and Montverde (Fla.) Academy a real scare in a holiday event at Ardrey Kell and lost to national power Oak Hill (VA) in the quarterfinal’s of the DICKS’ national high school basketball tournament in New York.
That 2014 Knights’ team, which ended the year 28-2, was uber-athletic, experienced and dominant defensively.
Badgett’s current team — which beat West Charlotte, 67-61, at the Mike Gminski Classic Monday — is a lot younger than that Northside 2014 team, which was full of seniors.
But there are lots of similarities: the defense, the shot-making.
And all those dunks.
Unofficially, Queen’s Grant had 11 of them Monday night, including an almost impossible jam from sophomore Mekhi Allen at the end of the first half that belongs on an ESPN SportsCenter highlight somewhere.
A police officer swore afterward that he saw Allen’s armpits at rim level on the move. To be clear, both of Allen’s hands were past the top of white square behind the basket when he caught the ball.
“There are some athletic young dudes out there,” Badgett said with a grin in the hallway at Marvin Ridge High School in Union County, which had a standing room-only crowd to watch two of the best teams from North Carolina square off in the best Charlotte-area game of the year so far.
“They’ve got a lot of talent,” Badgett said.
Still, the Stallions’ coach put a muzzle on his young team, having them intentionally slow the game down at times. And Queen’s Grant (14-3) won its 10th straight game playing a heavy dose of zone defense, which is not typically the style Badgett employs.
West Charlotte had trouble solving the zone until late in the fourth quarter. The Lions made two 3-point shots all game; one went through as the final buzzer sounded.
“We knew we had to keep it as much of a basketball game as we could,” Badgett said. “If you get into a track meet with (West Charlotte), you’ll get run out of the gym.”
Queen’s Grant doesn’t have a senior on the roster, and just four juniors. West Charlotte is equally as young. The Lions have one senior, 6-foot-5 forward Jkhai Wade, three juniors and nine sophomores.
Two of those sophomores, Kaharri Coleman and Cha Cho Womack, combined for 26 points. Junior AC Pressley, a shifty left-hander, had 20 points.
But the Lions (7-2) had to play most of the first half without Coleman, their best player and a top 50 national recruit in his class. Ranked No. 1 in North Carolina by 247 Sports, Coleman picked up his third foul in the first quarter with his team up 9-4, courtesy of his five quick points.
When he went out, Queen’s Grant took the lead and pushed it to 37-22 at halftime.
West Charlotte got it under 10 a few times in the final two quarters, but the Stallions never really had to sweat with several players having huge games — sophomore Bobby Montgomery (18 points, six 3-pointers , four assists), junior Preston Scott (eight assists), Allen (17 points, four rebounds, three assists) and sophomore Chase Smith (13 points, eight rebounds).
“It was very intense,” Smith said. “There were a lot of people here and it was a very hyped game. But we played as one and we got the win. But it felt like a playoff game.”
South Meck girls win bracket championship at John Wall Holiday Classic
South Mecklenburg’s girls’ basketball team took down a trophy Monday afternoon in emphatic fashion. Behind a balanced attack that saw eight players record at least one basket, South Meck of Charlotte pulled away from Southeast Raleigh for a 52-37 win to capture the championship in the Frances Pulley bracket of the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh.
The Sabres reached Monday’s title game with a convincing win over Broughton High School of Raleigh, and kept right on rolling through the final game. Kaitlyn Hensley was a catalyst for South Meck in the final game, scoring 13 points, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point line.
KB Brown added 11 points for the Sabres, and Nykira Arrington was a beast on the boards, hauling in 10 rebounds to lead all players.
Amaya Rhodes led Southeast Raleigh with 11 points, and Madalyn Pass added 10 in the loss.
Davidson Day 69, Burlington School 57
Sophomore Xavier Hall, who confirmed Monday he’s picked up a recruiting over from N.C. State, let his play do the talking on the court, pouring in 20 points and hauling in seven rebounds to lead Davidson Day past The Burlington School, 69-57.
Hall, who had 14 points in his team’s opening loss to Southeastern Prep, was named player of the game. Sherod McCormick III added 16 points for Davidson Day, and Clemson-bound Will Stevens chipped in 12.
Julian Lowe led The Burlington School with 18 points and five boards.
Davidson Day will play in the fifth-place game of the Coby White Bracket on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. against Ambassador Christian.
Ambassador Christian 84, Millbrook 49
Still stinging from a Game 1 loss to Spire Academy, Ambassador Christian took out its frustration on Millbrook of Raleigh on Monday.
Jeremiah Jones-Franklin led a balanced attack with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Lions rolled to an 84-49 win over the Wildcats. Nick Haney added 13 points, Judah King had 11 and Braden Miller added 10 with 10 boards.
Josh Conti led Millbrook with 22 points in the loss.
Ambassador Christian of Huntersville will face Davidson Day of Charlotte in the fifth-place game of the Coby White bracket at the John Wall Holiday Invitational on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
Ardrey Kell, Butler reach finals
The two teams with the best records will meet Tuesday night in the finals of the Ardrey Kell Winter Classic.
The host Knights ran their record to 9-2 in Monday evening’s finale by running past Forest Hills 72-58 in one semifinal game.
In the previous game, Butler improved to 11-1 by holding off Spartanburg 64-58.
The Knights and Bulldogs will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for the championship.
Forest Hills, which scored 86 points in Saturday’s first round, stayed with Ardrey Kell for a little more than a quarter. The game was tied 16-16 after the first period.
But coach Mike Craft’s team increased the defensive pressure in the second quarter and outscored the Yellow Jackets 19-7 for a 35-23 halftime lead.
Ardrey Kell added to the margin in the third quarter and coasted.
Braden Suggs led a quartet of Knights in double figures, scoring 24 points.
Dylan Morrison added 13, and Donnie Jones and Matthew Craft each added 12.
Makhi Massey and Truth Rorie each scored 17 for Forest Hills.
Butler led for most of the game but was never able to pull away from Spartanburg.
The Vikings got within a single point several times in the game but couldn’t take the lead.
Coach Patrick King’s team made six free throws in the final two minutes to cement the victory.
Terrance Badio and Stefan Ross each scored 16 points, while Ian Tomlinson added 125 and Elijah Shine had 11.
BOYS’ ROUNDUP
Arby’s Classic
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (MD) 59, North Mecklenburg 50: The Cougars, ranked No. 23 nationally by MaxPreps, handed North Mecklenburg its first loss in 10 games this season.
The Cougars beat the Vikings with efficient shooting, hitting 54 percent of their shots (19 of 35) from the floor. North Mecklenburg shot 42 percent (15 of 35).
D.J. Lindsey Jr. led the Vikings with 19 points, making four-of-six shots from three-point range. Ashton Pierce added 12 points, and ExZavier Young had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Gage Howard scored 17 for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which outrebounded the Vikings 25-17.
Butch Blalock Tournament
North Gaston 74, Pinnacle Classical 46: Payton McRae scored 19 points, Carter Mason added 12, and Preston Burgess had 11 in North Gaston’s semifinal victory at Highland Tech.
Charleston Lowcountry Classic
Metrolina Christian 64, Palmetto Christian (SC) 54: Rickey Torrence poured in 26 points for the Warriors (12-4), and Malachi Wilson added 14.
Mike Gminski New Year’s Bash
Combine Academy 67, Gaston Christian 61: Abu Rich’s 19 points and 12 rebounds lifted Combine Academy. Yohance Carter added 19 points and six rebounds. Cam Newton scored a game-high 28 for Gaston Christian.
Marvin Ridge 77, Hunter Huss 69: Mac Habenicht’s 22 points led the Mavericks, playing on their home floor. Henry Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Matthew Rivlin added 18 points.
The game’s leading scorer was the Huskies’ Jaleel Smith, with 27 points. He also had five steals.
Mount Pleasant Tournament
Mooresville 78, Central Cabarrus 58: The Blue Devils (10-1) got 15 points and 13 rebounds from Christian Wilson and advanced to the championship game of the tournament. Qua Bailey scored 13 points and added five rebounds, and Nolan Ericson totaled seven rebounds and five assists.
Mountaineer Classic
Providence Dayn 59, Weddington 55: The Chargers (9-5) advanced to the championship game of this Shelby tournament, as Zeke Battier scored 16 points. Columbus Parker added 12 points for the Chargers, who had four players scoring in double figures.
Tre Jefferson and Brandon Barbour each had 14 for Weddington, which trailed 46-35 after three quarters but rallied in the final period.
Peoples Bank Holiday Classic
North Lincoln 105, Draughn 43: The Knights improved to m8-2, behind 18 points from Ben Heavner, 16 from Carter Aberenthy and 13 from Ty Chandler. North Lincoln scored 62 points in the first half.
Rotary Roundball Classic
Concord Academy 60, Lexington (KY) Frederick Douglass 58: The Eagles outscored Douglass 31-12 in the second quarter and led 46-29 at halftime, then battled to hang on to their lead in the late going.
Jonas Agyeman scored 26 points for Concord Academy, which faces Pinewood Prep (SC) on Tuesday in North Charleston, S.C.
GIRLS’ ROUNDUP
Ardrey Kell Winter Classic
Forest Hills 54, Providence 40: Leyah Milton had 20 points and six steals in the Yellow Jackets’ victory. Azariya Griffin added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Emma Fuller had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) for Providence, and Marlee Whitten added nine rebounds.
Butch Blalock Tournament
North Gaston 69, Bessemer City 39: Junior Jaelia Littlejohn reached the 1,000-point career mark, scoring 38 points and adding 13 rebounds, five steals and five assists. Genesis Hall added 17 points for North Gaston.
Erielle Smith topped the Yellow Jackets with 12 points.
East Lincoln Winter Jam
East Lincoln 62, East Mecklenburg 18: Lane Pethel’s 27 points and 11 rebounds led the Mustangs (8-2) in a winners’ bracket semifinal game. Emma Montaneri added 17 points, seven steals and five assists, and Tess Hemrick had six rebounds.
East Mecklenburg fell to 5-7, with leading scorer Jurnee Darling held to six points.
West Cabarrus 51, Central Cabarrus 45: Jillian Simmons scored 16 points and added five assists, and Shariah White had 10 points for the Wolverines. Myajah Nix topped Central Cabarrus with 16 points.
Hoggard Christmas Classic
Hoggard 59, Ballantyne Ridge 16: The Wolves ran into a buzzsaw against state power Hoggard, failing behind 28-4 after one quarter and 48-8 at the half. Hoggard (10-1) got 17 points from Ella Jones and 11 from Anna Kate Chance. Natanya Chando led Ballantyne Ridge (6-6) with six points.
Peoples Bank Holiday Classic
Lincoln Charter 62, West Lincoln 27: The Eagles (6-1) trounced host West Lincoln, behind 14 points from Kylie Riggenbach. She was among 10 players in the scoring column for Lincoln Charter.
Red Raider Winter Rumble
Charlotte Latin 66, Burns 17: Lanie Edwards scored 25 points, and the Hawks advanced to Tuesday’s championship game against host South Point. Mollie Snuder added 17 for Latin.
South Point 45, Bessemer City 37: The host Raiders advanced to Tuesday’s championship game as Jyi’Yannah Watkins scored 18 points and Ja’Nyiah Battle added 11 rebounds, seven steals and four assists. Claire Frank contributed 11 points and 16 rebounds, with seven steals, for the victors.
Monday’s #BIG5 top performers
Justice Alexander, Concord Academy girls: Alexander led a 57-51 upset of Queen’s Grant in overtime at the Mike Gminski Classic. With coaches from Duke in attendance, Alexander had 26 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Queen’s Grant’s Za’Miya Bynum had 19 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Mekhi Allen, Queen’s Grant: Allen had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one memorable alley-oop dunk in a 67-61 win over West Charlotte.
Zavion Funderburk, East Meck: After making four 3-pointers in a win over West Meck Saturday at the Gminski Classic, Funderburk made six in 76-54 win over Mallard Creek Monday. He finished with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Thomas Vickery, Myers Park: In an 83-64 win over Cannon School at the Mike Gminski Classic, Vickery had 27 points, five rebounds and three assists. Sean Nix had 27 points, six rebounds and three assists for Cannon.
Christian Wilson, Mooresville: Wilson had 15 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a 78-59 win over Central Cabarrus. Mooresville improved to 10-1.
Monday’s boys’ box scores
ARDREY KELL 72, FOREST HILLS 58
Ardrey Kell 16 19 25 12 — 72
Forest Hills 16 7 16 19 — 58
ARDREY KELL 72 — Braden Suggs 24, Dylan Morrison 13, Donnie Jones 12, Matthew Craft 11, Gramaglia 5, Jones 5, Nelson 2
FOREST HILLS 58 — Massey 17, Blakeney 7, Rorie 17, Parker 3, Melton 2, Florentino 6, Brewer 2, Covington 4
BUTLER 64, SPARTANBURG 58
Butler 12 14 18 20 — 64
Spartanburg 11 11 17 19 — 58
BUTLER 64 — Terrance Badio 16, Stefan Ross 16, Ian Tomlinson 15, Elijah Shine 11, Bloomfield 3, Worthy 2, Boyd 1
SPARTANBURG 58 — D. Harris 15, J. Abrams 12, B. Young 11Olley 8, Douglas 4, Peake 4, Bell-Boyd 3, Malory 1
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 67, HARRELL’S CHRISTIAN 60
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 67 — Haggerty 2, James Wood 28, Griffin 6, Logan Johnson 11, Kaminski 2, Guteirrez 9, Noch 4, Gld 3, Riebe 2
HARRELL’S 60 — Deshaun McCoy 12, Antonio McCoy 40, Davis 2, Cole 2, Moore 4
Notable: Carmel Christian’s James Wood had 28 points, five steals. Harrell’s Christian’s Antonio McCoy had 40 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
COMBINE ACADEMY 67, GASTON CHRISTIAN 61
COMBINE ACADEMY 67 — Kaylen Chilton 12, Yohance Connor 19, Abu Riak 19, Lyakine 6, Wade 6, Dickerson 5
GASTON CHRISTIAN 61 — Luparia 4, Cameron Newton 28, Duhon 9, Woods 6, Millner 8, Joy 3, Southern 3
CONCORD ACADEMY 60, FREDERICK DOUGLASS (KY) 58
CONCORD ACADEMY 60 — Jonas Agyeman 26, Lincoln Raper 10, Minlend 9, Vidakovic 9, Boyer 3, Austin 3
DOUGLASS 58 — Surratt 21, Wade 12, Robinson 11, Coen 6, Talbert 5, Jones 2
Notable: Concord Academy (15-2) plays Pinewood Prep Tuesday
EAST MECKLENBURG 76, MALLARD CREEK 54
EAST MECK 76 — Roberson 5, Haye 2, McKissick 6, Shonganie 9, Kingston Cardwell 17, Williams 3, Clark 1, Lajalin Overton 11
MALLARD CREEK 54 — Nixon Wright 21, Zavion Funderburk 18, Huntley 2, Braylen Caldwell 11, Ian Ramirez toro 10, Peterkin 2, Coleman 3, Buzzard 9
Notable: For East Meck, junior Nixon Wright had 21 points, six rebounds and three steals. Jordan Buzzard had nine points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
MARVIN RIDGE 77, HUNTER HUSS 67
MARVIN RIDGE 77 — DJ Smith 4, Matthew Rivlin 18, Fleet Payne 15, Henry Smith 18, Tackett 1, Mac Habenicht 22
HUNTER HUSS 67 — Anderson 3, Jaleel Smith 27, Walker 2, Falls 4, Griggs 5, Pless 4, Phillips 8, Ametrius McCoy 14
Notable: Huss’ Jaleel Smith had 27 points, six rebounds, five steals and three assists at the Gminski Classic.
METROLINA CHRISTIAN 64, PALMETTO CHRISTIAN (SC) 54
Metrolina 10 21 23 10 — 64
Palmetto 9 9 19 17 — 54
METROLINA 64 — Rickey Torrence 26, Malachi Wilson 14, Seth Secrest 11, Walker 4, Kirbyson 4
PALMETTO 54 — Will Terry 30, Connor McNamara 10, Chakeris 7, Harper 2, Smalls 2, Allenstach 2
MOORESVILLE 78, CENTRAL CABARRUS 59
MOORESVILLE 78 — Christian Wilson 15, Qua Bailey 13, Jordan Walton 12, E. Bailey 7, Bost 6, McKinnon 6, Ericson 5, Schaen 5, McDonald 4, Morrison 3, Cornelius 2
MYERS PARK 83, CANNON SCHOOL 64
MYERS PARK 83 — Thomas Vickery 27, Mack Walters 14, Hayes 4, Jamison 2, Cash Hall 11, Awosanya 11
CANNON SCHOOL 64 — Underwood II 5, Lowry 3, Weaks 7, Rogers 7, Gabriel Steinour 11, Sean Nix 27
PROVIDENCE DAY 59, WEDDINGTON 55
Providence Day 16 18 12 13 — 59
Weddington 15 10 10 20 — 55
PROVIDENCE DAY 59 — Zeke Battier 16, Columbus Park 12, Deuce Haynes 11, Aidan Scruitsky 10, Bradley 6, Williams 2, Stokes III 2
WEDDINGTON 55 — Brandon Barbour 14, Tyler Cain 11, Muteb 6, Ford 3, Batt 3
Notable: Providence Day (9-5) won its semifinal over Weddington (8-5) in the Shelby Mountaineer Classic.
QUEEN’S GRANT 67, WEST CHARLOTTE 61
QUEEN’S GRANT 67 — Bobby Montgomery 18, Scott 6, Mekhi Allen 17, DeBerry 8, McSweeney 5, Chase Smith 13
WEST CHARLOTTE 61 — Kaharri Coleman 13, Chacho Womack 13, AC Pressley 20, Wade 5, Cross 2, Johnson 8
Monday’s girls’ box scores
CONCORD ACADEMY 57, QUEEN’S GRANT 51 OT
QUEEN’S GRANT 51 — Hicks 5, Misa Garris 10, Za’Miya Bynum 19, Chisholm 5, Casey Smith 12
CONCORD ACADEMY 57 — Rosebure 3, Brower 5, Collins 7, Smith 5, Justice Alexander 26, Jada Powell 13
EAST LINCOLN 62, EAST MECKLENBURG 18
East Meck 4 8 2 4 — 18
East Lincoln 21 19 12 10 — 62
EAST MECK 18 — Darling 6, Willis 4, Jones 4, Weisner 2, Shehane 2
EAST LINCOLN 62 — Lane Pethel 27, Emma Montanari 18, Dann 6, Hemrick 5, Miller 3, Baldwin 3
Notable: East Lincoln advanced to the finals of its Winter Jam tournament for the fifth traigth year, led by Pethel (27 ponts, 11 rebounds, two steals) and Montanari (18 points, seven steals, five assists, two blocks). East Lincoln will meet West Cabarrus in Tuesday’s 7 p.m. final at East Lincoln
FOREST HILLS 54, PROVIDENCE 40
Providence 14 9 13 4 — 40
Forest Hills 8 12 25 9 — 54
PROVIDENCE 40 — Detendber 9, Fillnow 13, Skinner 3, Whitten 2, Fuller 10, Stafford 3
FOREST HILLS 54 — Melton 20, Wingo 9, Shine 7, Rushing 4, Griffin 14
Records: Providence 6-5; Forest Hills 7-4
LINCOLN CHARTER 62, WEST LINCOLN 27
West Lincoln 9 10 3 5 — 27
Lincoln Charter 29 11 7 5 — 62
WEST LINCOLN 27 — Rhinehart 9, Q. Auery 6, A. Auery 3, Patel 3, Hood 2, Hoyle 2, Wyant 2
LINCOLN CHARTER 62 — Kylie Riggenbach 14, T. Riggenbach 8, Guinle 8, Camryn David 8, Merrill 7, Barbier 4, Claire David 4, Bowman 4, Cherry 3, Snow 2
Records: West Lincoln 4-6; Lincoln Charter 6-1
NORTH GASTON 69, PIEDMONT COMMUNITY CHARTER 39
North Gaston 11 12 22 24 — 69
Piedmont Community 11 9 14 5 — 39
NORTH GASTON 69 — Jaelia Littlejoh 38, Genesis Hall 17, Mesiah Thomas 10, Arrowood 2, Symonds 3
PIEDMONT CC 39 — East 3, Fayie 7, Cammer 1, Smith 12, Phillips 9, Gaff 4, Davis 2, Ostrander 2
Notable: North Gaston’s Jaelia Littlejohn scored her 1,000th career point and finished with 38 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and five assists.
Records: North Gaston 6-3; Piedmont CC 2-9
SOUTH POINT 45, BESSEMER CITY 37
South Point 13 4 14 14 — 45
Bessemer City 11 5 15 6 — 37
SOUTH POINT 45 — J Watkins 18, C Frank 11, Bittle 6, Waters 6, Trexler 4
BESSEMER 37 — M. Kiser 12, S. Moore 11, Escamarose 5, Morehead 4, Thompson 3, Rosebord 2
Notable: Claire Frank led South Point with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals. South Point will play Charlotte Latin in the championship game of the Red Raider Winter Rumble Tuesday at 4 p.m. at South Point.
WEST CABARRUS 51, CENTRAL CABARRUS 45
Central 11 17 6 11 — 45
West Cabarrus 13 8 16 14 — 51
WEST CABARRUS 51 — Jillian Simmons 16, Shariah White 10, Silas 8, Warner 8, Parks 4, Johnson 3, Brown 2
CENTRAL CABARRUS 45 — Myajah Nix 16, Laila Pickett 10, Duncan 8 Fofana 5, Rouse 2, Arevalo 4
Notable: West Cabarrus’ Jillian Simmons had 16 points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds.
Monday’s results
ARDREY KELL WINTER CLASSIC
(Boys’ semifinals)
(Consolation bracket)
Providence 62, Cuthbertson 43
Parkwood 76, Porter Ridge 70
(Championship bracket)
Butler 64, Spartanburg 68
Ardrey Kell 72, Forest Hills 58
(Girls’ round robin)
Myers Park 40, Cox Mill 23
Forest Hills 54, Providence 40
Ardrey Kell 64, Hunter Huss 41
BUTCH BLALOCK CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT’
(at Highland Tech)
(semifinal round)
(Girls) North Gaston 69, Piedmont Community Charter 39
(Boys) North Gaston 74, Pinnacle Classical 46
(Girls) Highland Tech 61, Pinnacle Classical 37
(Boys) Highland Tech vs. Victory Christian
CHARLESTON CLASSIC
(at Ashley Ridge High)
(boys) Berkeley (SC) 59, Covenant Day 48
(at Bishop England High)
(girls) Charlotte Christian 55, Porter Gaud (SC) 41
(boys) Charlotte Christian 90, Stall (SC) 67
(at Cane Bay High)
(girls) Covenant Day 54, Perry County (KY) 44
(at James Island High)
(boys) Woodmont (SC) 67, Olympic 64
(at Palmetto Christian High)
(boys) Metrolina Christian 65, Palmetto Christian (SC) 54
THE CLASSIC (boys)
(at Bristol, TN)
(winners’ bracket quarterfinals)
Webb School (TN) 75, Olympia (FL) 64
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (MD) 59, North Mecklenburg 50
Bishop O’Connell (VA) 48, Upperman (TN) 46
St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 59, Bearden (TN) 56
COMET CLASSIC (boys)
(at North Stanly High)
Lexington 76, South Stanly 47
West Stanly 77, Langtree Charter 73
North Stanly 72, Cabarrus Stallions 68
EAST LINCOLN WINTER JAM
(consolation semifinals)
(girls) Christ the King 69, West Stanly 38
(girls) Hopewell vs. Independence
(boys) Washington (DC) Benjamin Banneker 63, Christ the King 46
(championship semifinals)
(girls) West Cabarrus 51, Central Cabarrus 45
(boys) Lake Norman 60, Hough 55
(girls) East Lincoln 62, East Mecklenburg 18
(boys) East Lincoln 69, SouthLake Christian 66
FREEDOM CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT
(boys’ finals)
Boys’ seventh place: East Burke vs. Johnson County (TN)
Boys’ fifth place: West Caldwell 53, Hickory Grove Christian 50
Boys’ third place: T.C. Roberson 76, McDowell 71
Boys’ championship: Asheville Christian 78, Freedom 75
(girls’ round robin)
Kings Mountain 51, West Caldwell 40
East Burke 39, Freedom 29
HIGH COUNTRY CLASSIC (boys)
(at Watauga High)
(consolation semifinals)
South Iredell 84, Ashe County 72
Hibriten 66, Saluda (SC) 51
(championship semifinals)
Panther Creek 71, Hopewell 65
Apex Friendship 81, Watauga 54
HOGGARD HOLIDAY CLASSIC (girls)
(at Hoggard High, Wilmington)
Hoggard 59, Ballantyne Ridge 16
Porter Ridge 62, Laney 41’
JOHN WALL CLASSIC
(at Raleigh)
Coby White Boys’ Bracket
(at Broughton High)
(consolation semifinals)
Davidson Day 69, The Burlington School 57
Ambassador Christian 84, Millbrook 49
(championship semifinals)
Spire Academy 62, Greensboro Day 43
Southeastern Prep 75, IMG Academy (FL) 56
Frances Pulley Girls’ Bracket
Championship: South Mecklenburg 52, Southeast Raleigh 37
Wonderland Girls’ Bracket
(at Southeast Raleigh High)
(consolation semifinals)
Terry Sanford 63, T.W. Andrews 35
Cannon School 51, South Garner 42
(championship semifinals)
Bullis School (MD) 64, Mallard Creek 40
Princess Anne (MD) 82, St. Frances Academy (MD) 54
MIKE GMINSKI NEW YEAR’S BASH
(at Marvin Ridge High)
(boys) East Mecklenburg 76, Mallard Creek 54
(boys) Harrells Christian 67, Carmel Christian 60
(boys) Myers Park 83, Cannon School 64
(girls) Concord Acedemy 57, Queen’s Grant Charter 51
(boys) Queen’s Grant Charter 67, West Charlotte 61
(boys) Combine Academy 67, Gaston Christian 61
(boys) Marvin Ridge 77, Hunter Huss 69
MOUNT PLEASANT HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(Boys’ semifinals)
(consolation bracket)
Mount Pleasant 63, Albemarle 57
(championship bracket)
Mooresville 78, Central Cabarrus 59
Jay M. Robinson 95, Cox Mill 80
(Girls’ round robin)
Parkwood 69, Jay M. Robinson 43
Mount Pleasant 54, Albemarle 50
MOUNTAINEER CLASSIC (boys)
(at Shelby High)
(consolation semifinals)
Gaston Day 86, Charlotte Lab Christian 74
Pine Lake Prep 55, Kings Mountain 54
(championship semifinals)
Providence Day 59, Weddington 55
Shelby 90, Kings Mountain 49
NORTH IREDELL HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(semifinals)
(consolation bracket)
(girls) Bradford Prep vs. West Iredell
(boys) Forbush 65, West Iredell 60
(girls) Rocky River vs. West Iredell
(boys) Bradford Prep 81, West Wilkes 52
(championship bracket)
(girls) Pine Lake Prep vs. North Iredell
(girls) Hibriten 50, Statesville 46
(boys) West Cabarrus 100, Statesville 68
(boys) Rocky River vs. North Iredell
PEOPLES BANK HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
(at West Lincoln High)
(first round)
(girls) Lincoln Charter 62, West Lincoln 27
(girls) North Lincoln 81, Forestview 24
(boys) Ashbrook 81, East Gaston 72
(boys) North Lincoln 105, Draughn 43
(girls) Draughn 62, East Gaston 17
(girls) Bandys 65, Ashbrook 27
(boys) Lincoln Charter 87, Forestview 56
(boys) Bandys 74, West Lincoln 36
RED RAIDER WINTER RUMBLE
(at South Point High)
(first round)
(girls) Charlotte Latin 66, Burns 17
(boys) Piedmont Community Charter 63, Bessemer City 55
(girls) South Point 45, Bessemer City 37
(boys) South Point 68, Stuart Cramer 67
SAM MOIR HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(at Catawba College)
(semifinals)
(consolation bracket)
(girls) Salisbury 42, A.L. Brown 24
(boys) North Rowan 60, South Rowan 45
(girls) Jesse Carson 44, North Rowan 30
(boys) East Rowan 58, A.L. Brown 52
(championship bracket)
(girls) East Rowan 59, South Rowan 52 (OT)
(boys) Salisbury 62, Central Davidson 48
(girls) West Rowan 49, Central Davidson 42
(boys) Jesse Carson 70, West Rowan 55
OTHER GAMES
(boys) Ballantyne Ridge 70, Topsail 46 (at Pinecrest)
(boys) Community School of Davidson 70, North Stokes 47
(boys) Concord Academy 60, Lexington (KY) Frederick Douglass 58 (at Rotary Roundball Classic, North Charleston, SC)
(girls) Prosser (FL) 64, Marvin Ridge 53 (Gaylord Palms Holiday Tournament)
(girls) Fort Mill 57, Olympic 12 (Carolina Christmas Classic, at Northwest Guilford)
Tuesday’s schedule
ARDREY KELL WINTER CLASSIC
Seventh place: Porter Ridge vs. Cuthbertson, 3
Fifth place: Parkwood vs. Providence, 4:30
Third place: Spartanburg vs. Forest Hills, 6
Championship: Butler vs. Ardrey Kell, 7:30
Girls’ bracket
Forest Hills vs. Hunter Huss, 10:30 a.m.
Providence vs. Myers Park, noon
Cox Mill vs. Ardrey Kell, 1:30 p.m.
MIKE GMINSKI CLASSIC AT MARVIN RIDGE
Burlington Christian vs. East Meck, 11 a.m.
Queen’s Grant girls vs. NC GBB, 12:30 p.m.
Mallard Creek vs. Camden (SC), 2 p.m.
Gaston Christian vs. Hunter Huss, 3:30 p.m.
Queen’s Grant vs. Lancaster, 5 p.m.
West Charlotte vs. Myers Park, 6:30 p.m.
Marvin Ridge vs. Hickory Ridge, 8 p.m.
RED RAIDER WINTER RUMBLE AT SOUTH POINT
Girls’ bracket
Third place: Burns vs. Bessemer City, noon
Championship: Charlotte Latin vs. South Point, 4
Boys’ bracket
Third place: Bessemer City vs. Stuart Cramer, 2 p.m.
Championship: Piedmont Community Charter vs. South Point, 6 p.m.
BUTCH BLALOCK CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT
(at Highland Tech)
(finals)
Girls’ third place: Piedmont Community Charter vs. Pinnacle Classical, noon
Boys’ third place: Pinnacle Classical vs. Highland Tech/Victory Christian, 2 p.m.
Girls’ championship: North Gaston vs. Highland Tech, 4 p.m.
Boys’ championship: North Gaston vs. Highland Tech/Victory Christian, 6 p.m.
CAROLINAS LOWCOUNTRY CLASSIC
(at Ashley Ridge High)
(boys) Covenant Day vs. Ashley Ridge (SC), 4:30 p.m.
(at Bishop England High)
(girls) Metrolina Christian vs. Rock Hill (OH), 11 a.m.
(girls) Charlotte Christian vs. Bishop England (SC), 2 p.m.
(boys) Charlotte Christian vs. Bishop England (SC), 3:30 p.m.
(at James Island High)
(boys) Olympic vs. Clinton (SC), 1 p.m.
(at Summerville High)’
(girls) Covenant Day vs. Stratford (SC), 2:15 p.m.
THE CLASSIC (boys)
(at Bristol, TN)
(Consolation bracket)
North Mecklenburg vs. Olympia (FL), 1:30 p.m.
COMET CLASSIC (boys)
(at North Stanly High)
Langtree Charter vs. South Stanly, 4 p.m.
Cabarrus Stallions vs. West Stanly, 5:30 p.m.
North Stanly vs. Lexington, 7 p.m.
EAST LINCOLN WINTER JAM
(finals)
Girls’ seventh place: West Stanly vs. Hopewell/Independence, 11:30 a.m.
Girls’ fifth place: Christ the King vs. Hopewell/Independence, 1 p.m.
Boys’ fifth place: SouthLake Christian vs. Washington (DC) Benjamin Banneker, 2:30 p.m.
Girls’ third place:Central Cabarrus vs. East Mecklenburg, 4 p.m.
Boys’ third place: Hough vs. Christ the King, 5:30 p.m.
Girls’ championship: West Cabarrus vs. East Lincoln, 7 p.m.
Boys’ championship: Lake Norman vs. East Lincoln, 8:30 p.m.
HIGH COUNTRY CLASSIC (boys)
(at Watauga High)
Seventh place: Ashe County vs. Saluda (SC), 2 p.m.
Fifth place: South Iredell vs. Hibriten, 3:30 p.m.
Third place: Hopewell vs. Watauga, 5 p.m.
Championship: Panther Creek vs. Apex Friendship, 6:30 p.m.
HOGGARD HOLIDAY CLASSIC (girls)
(at Hoggard High, Wilmington)
Ballantyne Ridge vs. New Hanover, 11 a.m.
Porter Ridge vs. Hoggard, 2 p.m.
JOHN WALL CLASSIC
(at Raleigh)
Coby White Boys’ Bracket
(at Broughton High)
Seventh place: The Burlington School vs. Millbrook, 11 a.m.
Fifth place: Ambassador Christian vs. Davidson Day, 12:30 p.m.
Third place: Greensboro Day vs. IMG Academy (FL), 2 p.m.
Championship: Spire Academy vs. Southeastern Prep, 8 p.m.
Wonderland Girls’ Bracket
Seventh place: T.W. Andrews vs. South Garner, at Southeast Raleigh, 10:30 a.m.
Fifth place: Cannon School vs. Terry Sanford, at Southeast Raleigh, noon
Third place: Mallard Creek vs. St. Frances Academy (MD), at Southeast Raleigh, 1:30 p.m.
Championship: Bullis School (MD) vs. Princess Anne (MD), at Broughton, 12:30 p.m.
MOUNT PLEASANT HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(Boys’ finals)
Fifth place: Carolina International vs. Albemarle, 4:30 p.m.
Third place: Central Cabarrus vs. Cox Mill, 6 p.m.
Championship: Mooresville vs. Jay M. Robinson, 7:30 p.m.
(Girls’ round robin)
Jay. M. Robinson vs. Albemarle, noon
Mount Pleasant vs. Parkwood, 1:30 p.m.
MOUNTAINEER CLASSIC (boys)
(at Shelby High)
Seventh place: Charlotte Lab Christian vs. Northwest Cabarrus, 3 p.m.
Fifth place: Gaston Day vs. Pine Lake Prep, 4:30 p.m.
Third place: Weddington vs. Kings Mountain, 6 p.m.
Championship: Providence Day vs. Shelby, 7:30 p.m.
NEW YEAR’S BASH
(at Marvin Ridge High)
(boys) Burlington Christian vs. East Mecklenburg, 11 a.m.
(girls) Queen’s Grant Charter vs. N.C. GBB, 12:30 p.m.
(boys) Mallard Creek vs. Camden (SC), 2 p.m.
(boys) Gaston Christian vs. Hunter Huss, 3:30 p.m.
(boys) Queen’s Grant Charter vs. Lancaster (SC), 5 p.m.
(boys) West Charlotte vs. Myers Park, 6:30 p.m.
(boys) Marvin Ridge vs. Hickory Ridge, 8 p.m.
NORTH IREDELL HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Girls’ third place: Pine Lake Prep/North Iredell vs. Statesville, 3 p.m.
Boys’ third place: Rocky River/North Iredell vs. Statesville, 4:30 p.m.
Girls’ championship: Pine Lake Prep/North Iredell vs. Hibriten, 6 p.m.
Boys’ championship: Rocky River/North Iredell vs. West Cabarrus, 7:30 p.m.
PEOPLES BANK HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(at West Lincoln)
(semifinals)
(consolation bracket)
(girls) Forestview vs. West Lincoln, Ross Gym, noon
(boys) Draughn vs. East Gaston, Ross Gym, 1:30 p.m.
(girls) Ashbrook vs. East Gaston, Ross Gym, 3 p.m.
(boys) Forestview vs. West Lincoln, Ross Gym, 4:30 p.m.
(championship bracket)
(girls) North Lincoln vs. Lincoln Charter, Main Gym, noon
(girls) Bandys vs. Draughn, Main Gym, 3 p.m.
(boys) North Lincoln vs. Ashbrook, Main Gym, 1:30 p.m.
(boys) Lincoln Charter vs. Bandys, Main Gym, 4:30 p.m.
RED RAIDER WINTER RUMBLE
(at South Point High)
(finals)
Girls’ third place: Burns vs. Bessemer City, noon
Boys’ third place: Bessemer City vs. Stuart Cramer, 2 p.m.
Girls’ championship: Charlotte Latin vs. South Point, 4 p.m.
Boys’ championship: Piedmont Community Charter vs. South Point, 6 p.m.
SAM MOIR HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(at Catawba College)
Girls’ third place: South Rowan vs. Central Davidson, 3 p.m.
Boys’ third place: Central Davidson vs. West Rowan, 4:30 p.m.
Girls’ championship: East Rowan vs. West Rowan, 6 p.m.
Boys’ championship: Salisbury vs. Jesse Carson, 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 9:42 PM.