HobbsDailyReport.com
Editor’s note: Boxes from earlier rounds reported are below those of Wednesday
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SUMMARIES
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
East Lincoln’s Mustangs celebrate an overtime victory on Wednesday night over North Lincoln at Maiden that advanced them to Friday’s South Fork 2A tournament title game against Lake Norman Charter and also gave head coach Jon Hancock (second row, blue shirt) his 400th career coaching win./EAST LINCOLN HIGH PHOTO
SOUTH FORK 2A SEMIFINALS
No. 2 EAST LINCOLN 71,
No. 3 NORTH LINCOLN 69, OT
(at Maiden)
N. Lincoln 18 15 13 14 9—69
E. Lincoln 19 13 15 13 11—71
NORTH LINCOLN 69—Jack Carter 20, Regan, Daniel Carter 12, Dedmon 1, Cole Seagle 21, Callahan 6, Collins 2, Waggoner 7.
EAST LINCON 71—Jeremiah Jones 15, Montanari 6, Myles Adams 15, Justin Kuthan 33, McCowan 2, Bean, Clarke, Staples, Nichols.
Notes: East Lincoln won on a driving layup by Jones with two seconds left … The win was the 400th in Mustangs head coach Jon Hancock’s coaching career (400-246 officially, also stints at East Burke and Forestview); he is 76-13 at East Lincoln in his third season) … Kuthan added 16 rebounds, Jones added four assists and three steals and Adams provided five rebounds and seven assists for the Mustangs … East Lincoln beat North Lincoln in the regular season by 26 points and by two points … The Mustangs have won eight straight over the Knights and lead their series 34-5 dating back to 2003-2004 … East Lincoln is on a nine-game win streak and is 16-1 in its last 17 games.
Records: N. Lincoln 16-8; E. Lincoln 22-4.
— Reported by Chip Ashley, E. Lincoln coaching staff.
No. 1 LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 60,
No. 5 LINCOLNTON 53
(at Maiden)
Lincolnton 11 13 10 19—53
LN Charter 15 9 10 26—60
LINCOLNTON 53—Connor Williams 17, Davis Grooms 16, DeJarrius Gash 11, Finger 5, McClain 2, Motz 2.
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 60—Donovan Atwell 30, Reed 8, Bell 8, O’Brien 6, Porter 4, Edens 2, Selden 2.
Notes: Lincolnton had a two-game win streak snapped … Lake Norman Charter has won eight straight games and is 17-1 in its last 18 games … Lake Norman Charter swept Lincolnton in the regular season, winning by 18 points and by one point … Knights head coach Chet Korczynski coached his school’s varsity girls last season (8-14) … The Wolves are 21-29 under second-year head coach John Cloninger … Lincolnton will end up with a losing record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since going 4-14 in 2006-2007 and 11-12 the next year.
Records: Lincolnton 11-14; Lake Norman Charter 20-5.
— Reported by Chet Korczynski, Lake Norman Charter head coach
Top-seeded Hibriten defeated Northwestern Foothills 2A tournament host East Burke on Wednesday night, advancing to Friday’s title game on Friday night against third-seeded Patton./HIBRITEN HIGH PHOTO
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 HIBRITEN 55, No. 4 EAST BURKE 33
(at East Burke)
E. Burke 4 13 8 8—33
Hibriten 15 10 13 17—55
EAST BURKE 33—Smith 6, Lor 5, Coble 5, Chrisco 4, Shuford 4, Kiser 3, Yarbrough 2, Propst 2, Ward 2.
HIBRITEN 55—Nordre Battle 16, Avery Keller 13, Perry 9, Woodruff 6, Isbell 3, Wilson 2, Vaught 2, Absher 2, Wilson 2.
Notes: East Burke had won three straight games and five of its six coming in … Hibriten has won nine straight games and is 15-1 in its last 16 games … The Panthers also beat the Cavs twice in the regular season, by 10 points and by three points .. Hibriten head coach Chad Keller’s unofficial career wins is at 178 with 156 of them at Hibriten … East Burke had won 16 games over the three previous seasons and appears likely to get its first state playoff bid since 2015-2016 and fourth in seven years under head coach Jerome Ramsey … Since 1977-78, Hibriten’s most wins in a season is 23 (also in 2015-2016).
Records: E. Burke 14-12; Hibriten 23-2.
— Reported by Jerome Ramsey, E. Burke head coach
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A SEMIFINALS
No. 3 ALEXANDER CENTRAL 48, No. 2 HICKORY 44
(at McDowell)
Alex Central 14 9 10 15—48
Hickory 5 10 11 18—44
ALEXANDER CENTRAL 48—Jem Lowrance 16, Maddox Kerley 14, Wooten 2, Stikeleather 7, Presnell 7, Herman 2, Cook.
HICKORY 44—Davis Amos 12, Everhardt 6, Young 6, Hargrove 4, Dallas Culbreath 12, Maddox 4, Joyner-McCorkle.
Notes: Hickory had beaten the Cougars three times this season, winning by 10 points, two points and three points … Alexander Central has won three straight games … Hickory, which never led, had a five-game win streak snapped … Alexander Central won points in the paint 26-14 and off turnovers 18-6 … Rebound leaders, each with six, were Jem Lowrance of the Cougars and Chrishon Hargrove of the Red Tornadoes … Alexander Central had seven turnovers and Hickory had 10 … Hickory was 10 of 21 from 3-point range, led by Amos 4-for-9 and Culbreath’s 4-for-5 … The Red Tornadoes shot two free throws, missing both, and the Cougars were 12 of 16 with Jem Lowrance and Dalton Stikeleather each converting five… Evan Presnell had five steals for Alexander Central.
Records: Alexander Central 16-10; Hickory 20-5.
— Reported by Jonathan Watts, Alexander Central SID
No. 1 FREEDOM 78, No. 5 SOUTH CALDWELL 61
(at McDowell)
S. Caldwell 16 20 9 16—61
Freedom 16 22 17 23—78
SOUTH CALDWELL 61—Piercy 2, Colby Collins 11, Carr 2, Trey Ramsey 25, Kirby 2, Smith 2, Justin Eggers 17.
FREEDOM 78—James Freeman 36, Bradley Davis 21, Rice 9, Birchfield 4, Hemphill 2, Garner 6.
Notes: Freedom and South Caldwell split in the regular season, the Spartans winning by five points and the Patriots winning by 18 points previously … The Spartans are 4-6 in their last 10 games … The Patriots are on 10-game win streak since their loss to South Caldwell … Danny Anderson, in his first season as head coach of the Spartans, is 716-262 after 37 years as a head coach.
Records: S. Caldwell 8-16; Freedom 23-1.
— Reported by Rob Scott, Freedom coaching staff
TUESDAY’S GAMES
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A FIRST ROUND
No. 4 EAST BURKE 62,
No. 5 DRAUGHN 40
(at East Burke)
Draughn 8 12 10 10—40
E. Burke 15 13 13 21—62
DRAUGHN 40—D. Pritchard 5, Denver Treadway 13, Walker 9, Cox 2, Chrisco 9, E. Pritchard 2, Schutt, Poteet.
EAST BURKE 62—Coble 7, Chrisco 6, Logan Shuford 23, Lor 8, Propst 2, Smith 8, Ward 5, Pruitt 3, Childers.
Notes: East Burke beat Draughn for the third time this season after winning by nine points and by 15 points in the regular season.
Records: Draughn 13-12; E. Burke 14-11.
— Reported by Jerome Ramsey, E. Burke head coach
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A FIRST ROUND
No. 3 ALEXANDER CENTRAL 60,
No. 6 WATAUGA 36
(at Alexander Central)
Watauga 9 6 6 15—36
Alex Central 15 17 18 10—60
WATAUGA 36—Jackson Earnhardt 11, Hale 2, Castle 4, Freeman 7, Sears 3, Greer 3, Robbins 6, Privette, Martin, Ward.
ALEXANDER CENTRAL 60—Jem Lowrance 12, Kerley 8, Wooten 6, Stikeleather 2, Evan Presnell 15, Herman 8, G. Lowrance 4, Cook 5, Abernathy, Chapman, Hubbard.
Notes: Alexander Central shot 50.1 percent to Watauga’s 29.5 … The Cougars won points in the paint 40-16 … Presnell went 3-for-4 from 3-point range for Alexander Central … Earnhard hit 3 of 9 from 3-point range for Watauga … Jem Lowrance’s nine boards led the Cougars, who won them 39-21 .. Dalton Stikeleather had five of Alexander Central’s 20 assists … Alexander Central beat Watauga in the regular season by 18 points and by 14 points.
Records: Watauga 7-16; Alexander Central 15-10.
— Reported by Jonathan Watts, Alexander Central SID
