By Ken Bradley
MaxPreps.com
Every coach has heard it. Every player has heard it.
It’s difficult to beat a team three times in the same season.
That’s what the East Meck boys basketball team was faced with Friday night in the championship game of the Southwestern 4A tournament when it faced Providence.
“We had beaten Providence at home by one (point) and at Providence by three in overtime,” East Meck coach Jason Grube said. “So we knew it would be a tough game. It is always hard to beat a team three times in a season, especially a good team like Providence.”
But that’s just what the Eagles (19-8) did, knocking off the Panthers, 58-43.
Grube said his team’s defense was key to the win.
“We had a strong defensive effort on their post (Lamar Bradbury) by our point guard (Malik Stith), who fronted him and made it difficult for them to feed him in the post,” Grube said. “We held everyone else to nearly nothing – only two players scored in the first half.”
In fact, the Eagles held Providence to just 15 first-half points. Bradbury managed just four of his 12 points in the opening 16 minutes.
East Meck opens the state playoffs Tuesday at home against North Forsyth. With a victory, the Eagles will host a second game, a huge factor in determining how deep into the playoffs East Meck advances.
The Eagles have won 17 in a row at home and 39 of their past 40.
Grube is especially excited about his team’s conference title and ensuing top seed coming out of the Southwestern 4A conference.
“Especially considering that three of the four Western Regional teams from last year are in our sectional,” Grube said.
Girls Basketball: Butler Claims Third-Straight Conference Title
At the beginning of the season, Butler coach Stephanie Butler said her team set several goals:
- Win the conference regular-season title
- Win the conference tournament
- Get a No. 1 seed in the state tournament
Well, the first one was a draw. After tying for the regular-season title with East Meck, the Eagles won the top-seed drawing.
No problem.
After splitting their two regular-season meetings, Butler bumped off East Meck, 48-42, to win its third consecutive Southwestern 4A title.
For Butler, this one was especially satisfying.
“I think this year’s championship was most satisfying,” Butler said, “because of all the adversities that had endured.”
Butler pointed out that her team at one point during the season had two starters and two subs out with injuries.
With a healthy team, the Bulldogs were able to accomplish goals No. 2 and 3.
Clair Williams led Butler with 16 points and Celeste Stewart added 14. Butler also pointed to the play of Kayla Newman (two points) and May May Dunovant (seven points) as key factors in her team’s championship.
Butler (24-3) hosts Providence (9-16) on Monday night.
Boys Basketball: West Meck Holds Off Harding
When the top two seeds square off for the conference title after splitting their two regular-season meetings, the feeling is that the third game should be a close one.
In the Queen City 3A/4A final, it couldn’t get any closer.
West Meck won its second consecutive conference tournament title, edging top-seeded Harding, 61-60.
“This gives us great momentum entering Tuesday’s game with Davie County,” West Meck coach Donald Kirby said. “Everyone around campus is excited about our chances.”
West Meck (21-5) hosts Tuesday’s game against Davie (13-12).
In a tight game like its win against Harding, free throw shooting often is the difference. For the Hawks, that surely was the case.
“The key was going 16-of-25 from the free throw line,” Kirby said.
Defense also helped West Meck, especially against guard DeAndre Guy. The Harding sharpshooter was held to 12 points.
Aaron Brown led West Meck with 16 points and Emmanuel Dias led all scores with 22 points for the Rams.
Roundup
* Vance ran out to a 22-6 first-quarter lead and Hopewell wasn’t able to threaten the rest of the way en route to a 58-49 win in the final of the ME-CA 7 4 tournament.
It was the second impressive defensive showing in a row for the Cougars. In their semifinal win against North Meck, the Cougars won 57-43. Now Vance (23-5) hosts Alexander Central (18-8) on Tuesday. Hopewell (20-6) hosts Weddington (11-14) on Tuesday.
In the final, five Vance players scored at least eight points in a balanced attack, led by Daryl Traynham, who tossed in 12 points.
* In one of the area’s most-anticipated matchups, Cherryville slipped past East Lincoln, 74-73, in the championship game of the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A tournament.
The two teams split their regular-season meetings.
Gaston County leading scorer Justin Johnson led all scorers for Cherryville with 30 points.
Cherryville (24-2) hosts Winston-Salem Prep (26-6) on Tuesday in the sectional round of the NC 1A West state tournament. East Lincoln (21-5) hosts North Rowan (10-14) in the NC 2A West state tournament.
Lincolnton (11-11), the third seed from the Southern Piedmont, is on the road for its first-round game.
* Hunter Huss capped off a perfect record in Big South 3A/4A play with a 77-62 victory against Gaston County rival Ashbrook. For the Huskies, it was their second consecutive title.
After losing its first six games of the season and eventually moving to 2-8, Hunter Huss won all 12 of its conference games and its two tournament games. Now Huss (16-8) hosts Erwin (15-11) in the NC 3A West tournament.
Ashbrook (17-7) hosts Robinson (8-16) on Tuesday in the NC 4A West tournament.
Also, East Gaston (16-11) plays Tuesday at home against Mallard Creek (9-16) in NC 4A West.
* Other Mecklenburg County teams in action Tuesday in the NC 4A West are Butler (10-15) traveling to Mount Tabor (23-3); Providence (19-8) at Greensboro Page (16-11); Garinger (12-14) goes to Freedom (17-9) and Ardrey Kell (16-10) is on the road at W-S Reynolds (17-7).
* The West Charlotte girls routed North Meck, 77-52, behind 24 points from Christal Caldwell. The Lions (24-2) host South Meck (9-14) on Monday.
* The Providence Day girls’ basketball team won its fourth consecutive NCISAA 3A championship, beating Forsyth Country Day, 61-50. The victory was particularly sweet for Providence Day because it avenged an earlier loss in the season to Forsyth.
* The Victory Christian boys and girls basketball teams won their second straight state NCISAA 2A titles. The girls defeated Wilmington Cape Fear Academy, 58-27, and the boys routed Winston-Salem Calvary Baptist, 85-62.
* In the NCISAA 1A boys’ final, top-seeded Raleigh Word of God defeated No. 2 seed Charlotte United Faith, 85-71. Auburn University signee Kenny Gabriel led United Faith with 26 points.
High School Football: West Charlotte Forfeits Victories
The West Charlotte football team will forfeit each of its 13 victories this past season after an investigation by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools revealed the school used players who gave false addresses to be on the team, according to the Charlotte Observer.
West Charlotte reached the state semifinals this past season.
Ken Bradley, a former sports editor and writer in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, covers the Charlotte, N.C., area for MaxPreps.com. He may be reached at kbradley14@yahoo.com.
