2-12-23 roundup: Pro basketball and football, High school basketball and swimming, Middle school basketball, College basketball
By Richard Walker
Lincoln Charter repeated as girls Class 1A/2A N.C. High School Athletic Association champion on Friday.
Also, Burns’ Jacob Jensen won top honors as the Most Outstanding Performer in the meet. He set a new 1A/2A State Meet Record in the 50 Freestyle with a 20.33-second clocking to win the event. He also won the 100 Butterfly in 49.46 seconds,
Lincoln Charter racked up 250 team points to finish 41 points ahead of second-place Elkin.
The Eagles won their title without winning a single individual event. They were led by Grace Wilson, who finished second in the 500 Freestyle and third in the 200 Freestyle. Lincoln Charter’s Norah Chamblee finished third in the 200 IM.
Wilson was presented with the 2023 N.C. Farm Bureau Sportsmanship award.
Another local standout was Mountain Island Charter’s Beck Armstrong. He won three gold medals in the meet with a 100 Backstroke invidual title in 53.47 seconds and was a member of Raptors’ 200 and 400 Free relay teams, combining with Mason Green, Jack Lazaroski and Nolan Berry to win with times of 1:29.70 and 3:17.52, respectively.
High school basketball
Here’s the conference tournament pairings for teams from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties:
(Conference tournament pairings)
-Big South 3A
Monday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 8 North Gaston at No. 1 South Point
No. 5 Ashbrook at No. 4 Kings Mountain
No. 7 Forestview at No. 2 Crest
No. 6 Cramer at No. 3 Huss
Monday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 8 North Gaston at No. 1 Huss
No. 5 South Point at No. 4 Ashbrook
No. 7 Forestview at No. 2 Cramer
No. 6 Kings Mountain at No. 3 Crest
Wednesday’s boys semifinals
No. 8/1 vs. No. 5/4
No. 7/2 vs. No. 6/3
Wednesday’s girls semifinals
No. 8/1 vs. No. 5/4
No. 7/2 vs. No. 6/3
Friday’s finals at Huss
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-Southern Piedmont 1A/2A
Monday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 7 Thomas Jefferson at No. 2 Shelby
No. 6 Highland Tech at No. 3 Bessemer City
No. 5 Cherryville at No. 4 Burns
Monday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 7 Cherryville at No. 2 Bessemer City
No. 6 Highland Tech at No. 3 Thomas Jefferson
No. 5 East Gaston at No. 4 Burns
Wednesday’s boys semifinals
No. 5/4 winner at No. 1 East Gaston
No. 6/3 winner vs. No. 7/2 winner
Wednesday’s girls semifinals
No. 5/4 winner at No. 1 Shelby
No. 6/3 winner vs. No. 7/2 winner
Friday’s finals at East Gaston
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-Western Foothills
Monday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 8 West Iredell at No. 1 Hickory
No. 5 St. Stephens at No. 4 North Iredell
No. 7 Statesville at No. 2 East Lincoln
No. 6 Foard at No. 3 North Lincoln
Monday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 8 West Iredell at No. 1 East Lincoln
No. 5 Foard at No. 4 Hickory
No. 7 North Lincoln at No. 2 St. Stephens
No. 6 Statesville at No. 3 North Iredell
Wednesday’s boys semifinal at North Iredell
No. 8/1 winner vs. No. 5/4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s girls semifinal at North Iredell
No. 8/1 winner vs. No. 5/4 winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday’s girls semifinal at North Iredell
No. 7/2 winner vs. No. 6/3 winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday’s boys semifinal at North Iredell
No. 7/2 winner vs. No. 6/3 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s finals at North Iredell
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-Catawba Valley 2A
Tuesday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 8 East Burke at No. 1 West Caldwell
No. 5 Bunker Hill at No. 4 Lincolnton
No. 7 West Lincoln at No. 2 Maiden
No. 6 Bandys at No. 3 Newton-Conover
Tuesday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 8 Bunker Hill at No. 1 East Burke
No. 5 Bandys at No. 4 West Lincoln
No. 7 West Caldwell at No. 2 Newton-Conover
No. 6 Lincolnton at No. 3 Maiden
Wednesday’s boys semifinal at CVCC
Highest remaining quarterfinal seed
Wednesday’s girls semifinal at CVCC
Highest remaining quarterfinal seed
Thursday’s boys semifinal at CVCC
Lowest remaining quarterfinal seed
Thursday’s girls semifinal at CVCC
Lowest remaining quarterfinal seed
Friday’s finals at CVCC
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-Catawba Shores 1A/2A
Monday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 7 Langtree Charter at No. 2 Community School of Davidson
No. 6 Bradford Prep at No. 3 Christ the King
No. 5 Mountain Island Charter at No. 4 Pine Lake Prep
Monday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 5 Bradford Prep at No. 4 Pine Lake Prep
Wednesday’s boys semifinals at Christ the King
No. 1 Lincoln Charter vs. No. 5/4 winner, 5:30 p.m.
No. 7/2 winner vs. No. 6/3 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s girls semifinals at Christ the King
No. 1 Lincoln Charter vs. No. 5/4 winner, 4 p.m.
No. 2 Community School of Davidson vs. No. 3 Christ the King, 7 p.m.
Friday’s finals at Christ the King
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-Metro 8 1A
Monday’s boys quarterfinals
No. 7 Apprentice Academy at No. 2 Carolina International
No. 6 Cabarrus Charter at No. 3 Queen’s Grant
No. 5 Sugar Creek at No. 4 Piedmont Community Charter
Monday’s girls quarterfinals
No. 5 Cabarrus Charter at No. 4 Sugar Creek
No. 6 Carolina International at No. 3 Queen’s Grant
Wednesday’s boys semifinals
No. 5/4 winner at No. 1 Corvian Community
No. 6/3 winner vs. No. 7/2 winner
Wednesday’s girls semifinals
No. 5/4 winner at No. 1 Piedmont Community Charter
No. 6/3 winner at No. 2 Corvian Community
Friday finals at Corvian Community
Girls, 6 p.m.
Boys, 7:30 p.m.
-MAC (NCISAA)
Tuesday’s boys 1st round
No. 3 Northside Christian 64, No. 6 Metrolina Christian 47
No. 4 Gaston Day 69, No. 5 Westminster Catawba 60
Thursday’s boys semifinals at Hickory Grove Christian
No. 1 Gaston Christian 50, No. 4 Gaston Day 35
No. 2 Concord Academy 92, No. 3 Northside Christian 73
Friday’s boys championship
No. 2 Concord Academy 61, No. 1 Gaston Christian 47
College basketball
(Sunday’s game)
Gaston College 75, Denmark Tech 67: Dee Merriweather (19 points), Asil Hoyle (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), DaMarco Watson (12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), Jordan Guthrie (10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists), Yarayah Evans (6 points, 5 rebounds) and Caleb McCarty (6 points, 3 assists, 3 blocked shots) led a balanced Rhinos’ (13-7, 3-4) attack. Gaston College’s next home game is Saturday at 3 p.m. at Ashbrook against Hosanna Bible College; 30 minutes prior to the game, the Rhinos will honor its seven sophomores – Watson, McCarty, Merriweather, Guthrie, Joshua Johnson, Dedrick Givens, and Kirk Scoggins on “Sophomore Day.”
(Wednesday’s games)
Davidson at Saint Louis
Erskine at Belmont Abbey
Gaston College at Richard Bland
Winthrop at Gardner-Webb
(Thursday’s games)
Queens at Jacksonville State
Western Kentucky at Charlotte
(Saturday, Feb. 18)
Belmont Abbey at Lees-McRae
Charlotte at Louisiana Tech
Gardner-Webb at UNC Asheville
Hosanna Bible College at Gaston College
Queens at Kennesaw State
St. Joseph’s at Davidson
Middle school basketball
Gaston County Conference standings through Feb. 9:
-BOYS
Southwest 6-0
Belmont 5-1
Mount Holly 4-1
Grier 4-1
Holbrook 3-2
Chavis 2-3
Cramerton 2-3
Stanley 2-4
York Chester 2-4
W.C. Friday 0-5
Bessemer City 0-6
-GIRLS
Holbrook 5-0
Belmont 5-1
Mount Holly 4-1
Southwest 4-2
Cramerton 3-2
W.C. Friday 2-3
York Chester 2-4
Stanley 2-4
Chavis 1-4
Grier 1-4
Bessemer City 1-5
(Monday’s games)
Chavis at Belmont, Cramerton at York Chester, W.C. Friday at Stanley, Grier at Southwest, Holbrook at Mount Holly
Tri-County Conference final regular season standings and upcoming playoff pairings:
-BOYS
(East Division)
Burns 9-1
Kings Mountain 8-2
North Lincoln 6-4
Lincolnton 4-6
East Lincoln 3-7
West Lincoln 0-10
(West Division)
Shelby 9-1
Thomas Jefferson 8-2
Crest 7-3
East Rutherford 3-7
R-S Central 3-7
Chase 0-10
-GIRLS
(East Division)
North Lincoln 10-0
East Lincoln 7-3
Kings Mountain 5-5
Lincolnton 4-6
Burns 3-7
West Lincoln 1-9
(West Division)
Crest 9-1
Thomas Jefferson 9-1
Shelby 6-4
East Rutherford 3-7
R-S Central 3-7
Chase 0-10
(Monday’s semifinal pairings)
-BOYS
Kings Mountain at Shelby
Thomas Jefferson at Burns
-GIRLS
East Lincoln at Crest
Thomas Jefferson at North Lincoln
(Wednesday’s finals)
-BOYS
KM-Shelby winner vs. TJ-Burns winner
-GIRLS
EL-Crest winner vs. TJ-NL winner
Pro basketball
Here’s the 2022-23 Charlotte Hornets schedule:
(15-43 record)
October
19 at San Antonio (W 129-102)
21 New Orleans (L 112-124)
23 at Atlanta (W 126-109)
26 at New York (L 131-134, OT)
28 at Orlando (L 93-113)
29 Golden State (W 120-113, OT)
31 Sacramento (L 108-115)
November
2 at Chicago (L 88-106)
4 at Memphis (L 99-130)
5 Brooklyn (L 94-98)
7 Washington (L 100-108)
9 Portland (L 95-105)
10 at Miami (L 112-117, OT)
12 at Miami (L 115-132)
14 at Orlando (W 112-105)
16 Indiana (L 113-125)
18 at Cleveland (L 122-132, 2 OT)
20 at Washington (L 102-106)
23 Philadelphia (W 107-101)
25 Minnesota (W 110-108)
28 at Boston (L 105-140)
December
2 Washington (W 117-116)
3 Milwaukee (L 96-105)
5 L.A. Clippers (L 117-119)
7 at Brooklyn (L 116-122)
9 New York (L 102-121)
11 at Philadelphia (L 113-131)
14 Detroit (L 134-141, OT)
16 Atlanta (L 106-125)
18 at Denver (L 115-119)
19 at Sacramento (W 125-119)
21 at L.A. Clippers (L 105-126)
23 at L.A. Lakers (W 134-130)
26 at Portland (L 113-124)
27 at Golden State (L 105-110)
29 Oklahoma City (W 121-113)
31 Brooklyn (L 106-123)
January
2 L.A. Lakers (L 115-121)
4 Memphis (L 107-131)
6 at Milwaukee (W 138-109)
8 at Indiana (L 111-116)
10 at Toronto (L 120-132)
12 at Toronto (L 114-124)
14 Boston (L 106-122)
16 Boston (L 118-130)
18 at Houston (W 122-117)
21 at Atlanta (W 122-118)
23 at Utah (L 102-120)
24 at Phoenix (L 97-128)
26 Chicago (W 111-96)
29 Miami (W 122-117)
31 at Milwaukee (L 115-124)
February
2 at Chicago (L 98-114)
3 at Detroit (L 112-118)
5 Orlando (L 113-119)
8 at Washington (L 104-118)
10 at Boston (L 116-127)
11 Denver (L 105-119)
13 Atlanta, 7 p.m.
15 San Antonio, 7 p.m.
24 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
25 Miami, 7 p.m.
27 Detroit, 7 p.m.
March
1 Phoenix, 7 p.m.
3 Orlando, 7 p.m.
5 at Brooklyn, 6 p.m.
7 at New York, 7:30 p.m.
9 at Detroit, 7 p.m.
11 Utah, 7 p.m.
12 Cleveland, 5 p.m.
14 Cleveland, 7 p.m.
17 Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
20 Indiana, 7 p.m.
23 at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
24 at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
26 Dallas, 1 p.m.
28 at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
31 Chicago, 7 p.m.
April
2 Toronto, 1 p.m.
4 Toronto, 7 p.m.
7 Houston, 7 p.m.
9 at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Pro football
Here’s the 2022-23 NFL playoff schedule:
-Wild Card weekend
Jan. 14-16
(AFC)
No. 1 Kansas City – bye
No. 5 L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville – Jacksonville 31-30
No. 7 Miami at No. 2 Buffalo – Buffalo 34-31
No. 6 Baltimore at No. 3 Cincinnati – Cincinnati 24-17
(NFC)
No. 1 Philadelphia – bye
No. 7 Seattle at No. 2 San Francisco – San Francisco 41-23
No. 6 N.Y. Giants at No. 3 Minnesota – N.Y. Giants 31-24
No. 5 Dallas at No. 4 Tampa Bay – Dallas 31-14
-Confererence semifinals
Jan. 21-22
(AFC)
No. 4 Jacksonville at No. 1 Kansas City – Kansas City 27-20
No. 3 Cincinnati at No. 2 Buffalo – Cincinnati 27-10
(NFC)
No. 6 N.Y. Giants at No. 1 Philadelphia – Philadelphia 38-7
No. 5 Dallas at No. 2 San Francisco – San Francisco 19-12
-Conference championship games
Jan. 29
NFC – No. 2 San Francisco at No. 1 Philadelphia – Philadelphia 31-7
AFC – No. 3 Cincinnati at No. 1 Kansas City – Kansas City 23-20
-Super Bowl
Feb. 12
At Glendale, Ariz. – Kansas City 38, Philadelphia 35
Auto racing
The 2023 NASCAR schedule (with winners in parentheses):
Feb 5 Clash at The Coliseum, Los Angeles CA (Martin Truex, Jr.)
Feb 16 Duel No. 1, Daytona Beach FL, 7 p.m. on FS1
Feb 16 Duel No. 2, Daytona Beach FL, 8:45 p.m. on FS1
Feb 19 Daytona 500, Daytona Beach FL, 2:30 p.m. on FOX
Feb 26 NASCAR Cup Series at California, Fontana CA 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Mar 5 NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Mar 12 NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix, Avondale AZ, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Mar 19 NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta, Hampton GA, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Mar 26 NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of the Americas, Austin TX, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Apr 2 NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond, Richmond VA, 3:30 p.m. on FS1
Apr 9 NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol, Bristol TN, 7 p.m. on FOX
Apr 16 NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville, Martinsville VA, 3 p.m. on FS1
Apr 23 NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega, Lincoln AL, 3 p.m. on FOX
Apr 30 NASCAR Cup Series at Dover, Dover DE, 2 p.m. on FS1
May 7 NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas, Kansas City KS, 3 p.m. on FS1
May 14 NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington, Darlington SC, 3 p.m. on FS1
May 21 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open Race, North Wilkesboro NC, 6 p.m. on FS1
May 21 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, North Wilkesboro NC, 8 p.m. on FS1
May 28 NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte, Concord NC, 6 p.m. at FOX
Jun 4 NASCAR Cup Series at World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison IL, 3:30 p.m. on FS1
Jun 11 NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma, Sonoma CA, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
Jun 25 NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville, Lebanon TN, 7 p.m. on NBC
Jul 2 NASCAR Cup Series at Chicago, Chicago IL, 5:30 p.m. on NBC
Jul 9 NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta, Hampton GA, 7 p.m. on USA
Jul 16 NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire, Loudon NH, 2:30 p.m. on USA
Jul 23 NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono, Long Pond PA, 2:30 p.m. on USA
Jul 30 NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond, Richmond VA, 3 p.m. on USA
Aug 6 NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan, Brooklyn MI, 2:30 p.m. on USA
Aug 13 NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Road Course, Speedway IN, 2:30 p.m. on NBC
Aug 20 NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen NY, 3 p.m. on USA
Aug 26 NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona, Daytona Beach FL, 7 p.m. on NBC
(Cup Playoffs)
Sep 3 NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington, Darlington SC, 6 p.m. on USA
Sep 10 NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas, Kansas City KS, 3 p.m. on USA
Sep 16 NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol, Bristol TN, 7:30 p.m. on USA
Sep 24 NASCAR Cup Series at Texas, Fort Worth TX, 3:30 p.m. on USA
Oct 1 NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega, Lincoln AL, 2 p.m. on NBC
Oct 8 NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte, Concord NC, 2 p.m. on NBC
Oct 15 NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV, 2:30 p.m. on NBC
Oct 22 NASCAR Cup Series at Miami, Homestead FL, 2:30 p.m. on NBC
Oct 29 NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville, Martinsville, 2 p.m. on NBC
Nov 5 NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix, Avondale AZ, 3 p.m. on NBC