Newton-Conover High sophomore Grace Loftin (10) goes to the bucket against West Wilkes on Thursday night in the Red Devils’ home victory in the second round of the state 2A playoffs. Newton-Conover won its 24th straight game and faces East Burke in the third round on Saturday in Icard./MICHELLE THOMPSON PHOTO
Freedom also advances, will be at home against Asheville next
HobbsDailyReport.com
East Burke High used a big third quarter on Thursday night to beat Bunker Hill for the fourth time this season, winning 50-40 in a second round state 2A basketball playoff game in Icard.
Brooke Arney scored 20 points and Ariana Hawkins added 14 as the fourth-seeded Cavs (23-5) ran their win streak to 13 straight games.
East Burke trailed 26-24 at halftime and outscored 13th-seeded Bunker Hill 16-5 in the third quarter to lead 40-31 heading into the final eight minutes.
The Cavs advance to Saturday’s third round and will be at home to face fifth-seeded Newton-Conover (25-4), which ran its win streak to 24 straight with a 62-54 home win on Thursday night over No. 12 West Wilkes.
Game time in Icard on Saturday is 6 p.m. and the gates open at 5 p.m.
Crystany White led the Bears (20-9) with 15 points and Addie Wray added 11.
If East Burke wins on Saturday, its next game would be Tuesday at the highest seed — No. 8 Smoky Mountain (16-10) or No. 1 Mountain Heritage (25-0).
The Cavs are 77-11 in their last 88 games and they are 13-1 at home this season (only loss was to Freedom).
East Burke’s other wins over Bunker Hill were 54-44 on Dec. 14 in Claremont, 59-47 in Icard on Feb. 8 and 61-56 in the Northwestern Foothills 2A tournament title game at East Burke.
The Bears had their best record since going 24-6 in 2008-09 and won 20 for only the second time in the last 17 years.
No. 5 Newton-Conover 62, No. 12 West Wilkes 54
Chyna Cornwell had 25 points as the host Red Devils (25-4) ran their win streak to 24 straight games and advanced to the third round.
Newton-Conover goes to fourth-seeded East Burke (23-5) to play on Saturday, and that winner faces No. 8 Smoky Mountain (16-10) or top-seeded Mountain Heritage (25-0) on Tuesday at the highest seed.
The Red Devils were up 32-23 at the half against West Wilkes (19-8) and had a five-point lead entering the final quarter.
Emma Cox, a 6-foot-3 freshman, added 11 points for Newton-Conover.
West Wilkes — led by Jamilyn Wilcox’s 23 points and 15 points by Kelsie Huffman –is only the fourth team to stay within 10 or fewer points of the Red Devils in any of their wins (Foard lost by 10, Bunker Hill lost by 9 and Hickory lost by six).
3A
No. 2 Freedom 61, No. 15 Enka 42
Blaikley Crooks and Madison Bailey combined for 45 points, leading the Patriots (28-1) to a home second round victory.
Crooks scored 26 points and Bailey added 19 as Freedom ran its win streak to 20 straight games.
Emily Carver scored 17 points for Enka (22-6).
The Patriots, 51-6 since last season, will battle No. 7 Asheville (23-6) in Morganton on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with that winner advancing to play Tuesday against No. 11 Charlotte Catholic (22-7) or No. 3 Carson (26-2).
Freedom has now won 28 or more games in a season four times in 41 years – 29-1 in 1994-95, 32-0 in 2015-16 and 29-2 in 2016-17 and those first two teams won state titles.
No. 7 Asheville 65, No. 10 Hickory 59
The Cougars were up 26-13 after one quarter and withstood a late rally by the Red Tornadoes, who got within two points.
Shelby Darden scored 16 points and Mason Paradine added 11 for Hickory (18-8).
Asheville (23-6) advances to play a third-round game on Saturday at No. 2 Freedom (28-1), and the winner moves on to a Tuesday game against No. 11 Charlotte Catholic (22-7) or No. 3 Carson (26-2).
Hickory posted its 28th straight winning season in head coach Barbara Helms’ 16th year as head coach. She exits the season with 395 wins at HHS and 433 in her prep career.
No. 4 Cuthbertson 52, No. 20 Watauga 37
Sophomore Maddie Dillinger scored 21 points, making 10 of her 15 field goal attempts, to lead Cuthbertson’s home second round victory.
Lillian Anderson had rebounds and nine of Cuthbertson’s 14 blocked shots.
Cuthbertson has won five straight and 10 of its last 11, advancing to a third round game Saturday at home against No. 5 Kings Mountain (23-4).
Watauga lost two of its last three games and four of its final seven to finish 17-10.
4A
No. 10 Hickory Ridge 73, No. 7 McDowell 50
Makenna Parkins scored 12 points and Makaylah Chandler added 10 for McDowell (17-10), eliminated at home.
Hickory Ridge (24-4) faces No. 2 West Forsyth (23-3) in a third round game on Saturday in Clemmons.
McDowell has 12 West Regional appearances but none since 2009-10.
- Information for this roundup included reports by Bunker Hill head coach Randy Joines, Newton-Conover head coach Sylvia White and Freedom head coach Amber Reddick.
