2-18-22 roundup: High school basketball, College basketball, MMA, Pro basketball, Middle school basketball
By Richard Walker
Conference tournament champions were declared all around the region on Friday night and teams now await Saturday’s N.C. High School Athletic Association playoff fates.
The NCHSAA is slated to announced postseason pairings with games slated to begin on Tuesday.
Teams assured of postseason appearances are league champions Crest (Big South 3A boys), Ashbrook (Big South 3A girls), East Lincoln (Western Foothills 3A girls), Shelby (Southern Piedmont 1A/2A boys and girls), Lincoln Charter (Catawba Shores 1A/2A boys and girls) and Piedmont Community Charter (Metro 8 1A girls). And Bessemer City’s boys, as Southern Piedmont co-regular season champion, is guaranteed a Class 1A berth.
Several other teams will receive postseason bids.
Here’s the tournament results and pairings for conferences from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties:
Big South 3A
Monday’s boys first round
Crest 70, North Gaston 40
South Point 75, Forestview 53
Kings Mountain 90, Huss 66
Cramer 81, Ashbrook 52
Wednesday’s boys semifinals at Crest
Kings Mountain 72, Cramer 61
Crest 86, South Point 75
Friday’s boys championship at Crest
Crest 69, Kings Mountain 59
Monday’s girls first round
Ashbrook 77, Cramer 43
South Point 57, Crest 50
Kings Mountain 61, Forestview 30
Huss 68, North Gaston 44
Wednesday’s girls semifinals at Ashrook
Kings Mountain 59, Huss 49
Ashbrook 56, South Point 35
Friday’s girls championship at Crest
Ashbrook 62, Kings Mountain 61
Western Foothills 3A
Monday’s boys first round
Hickory 87, West Iredell 47
North Lincoln 74, St. Stephens 62
East Lincoln 75, Foard 28
North Iredell 76, Statesville 43
Thursday’s boys semifinals at East Lincoln
East Lincoln 47, North Iredell 46
Hickory 77, Statesville 62
Friday’s boys championship at East Lincoln
Hickory 58, East Lincoln 53: Drew Bean had 13 points and Jeremiah Jones 11 for East Lincoln.
Monday’s girls first round
East Lincoln 64, West Iredell 15
Foard 67, North Iredell 59
Hickory 71, North Lincoln 16
St. Stephens 37, Statesville 19
Wednesday’s girls semifinals at East Lincoln
Hickory 56, St. Stephens 46
East Lincoln 74, Foard 68
Friday’s girls championship at East Lincoln
East Lincoln 50, Hickory 42
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A
Tuesday’s boys first round
Shelby-bye
East Gaston 66, Cherryville 51
Bessemer City 87, Highland Tech 67
Burns 61, Thomas Jefferson 49
Thursday’s boys semifinals at Shelby
Bessemer City 70, Burns 64
Shelby 57, East Gaston 53
Friday’s boys championship at Shelby
Shelby 62, Bessemer City 51: Ja’Keith Hamilton had 24 points, Drew Hollifield 13 and Demario Allen 10 for Shelby and Randall Pettus had 22 points and Nazari Smarr 18 for Bessemer City.
Tuesday’s girls first round
Shelby-bye
Burns 59, East Gaston 42
Thomas Jefferson 63, Highland Tech 23
Bessemer City 77, Cherryville 27
Thursday’s girls semifinals at Shelby
Bessemer City 58, Thomas Jefferson 40
Shelby 73, Burns 23
Friday’s girls championship at Shelby
Shelby d. Bessemer City
Catawba Valley 2A
Tuesday’s boys first round
West Caldwell 71, Newton-Conover 59
West Lincoln 64, Bandys 51
Maiden 58, Bunker Hill 43
Lincolnton 60, East Burke 48
Wednesday’s boys semifinal at Catawba Valley CC
West Caldwell 74, West Lincoln 50
Thursday’s boys semifinal at Catawba Valley CC
Maiden 35, Lincolnton 34
Friday’s boys championship at Catawba Valley CC
West Caldwell 51, Maiden 48
Tuesday’s girls first round
Newton-Conover-bye
Bandys 57, Maiden 39
East Burke 36, Lincolnton 14
Bunker Hill 69, West Lincoln 40
Wednesday’s girls semifinal at Catawba Valley CC
Newton-Conover 47, Bandys 32
Thursday’s girls semifinal at Catawba Valley CC
East Burke 56, Bunker Hill 41
Friday’s girls championship at Catawba Valley CC
Newton-Conover 48, East Burke 47
Catawba Shores 1A/2A
Monday’s boys first round
Mountain Island Charter 81, Langtree Charter 73
Christ the King 64, Pine Lake Prep 49
Wednesday’s boys semifinals
Christ the King 53, Community School of Davidson 49
Lincoln Charter 67, Mountain Island Charter 56
Friday’s boys championship at Pine Lake Prep
Lincoln Charter vs. Christ the King
Monday’s girls first round
Christ the King 49, Pine Lake Prep 47, OT
Langtree Charter 53, Mountain Island Charter 26
Wednesday’s girls semifinals
Langtree Charter 65, Community School of Davidson 55
Lincoln Charter 50, Christ the King 24
Friday’s championship at Pine Lake Prep
Lincoln Charter 65, Langtree Charter 50
Metro 8 1A
Monday’s boys first round
Cabarrus Charter 52, Sugar Creek 44
Queen’s Grant 103, Apprentice Academy 32
Corvian Community 66, Bradford Prep 49
Wednesday’s boys semifinals at Bradford Prep
Corvian Community 79, Queen’s Grant 72
Carolina International 104, Cabarrus Charter 75
Friday’s boys championship at Bradford Prep
Carolina International vs. Corvian Community
Wednesday’s girls semifinals
Piedmont CC 62, Sugar Creek 28
Bradford Prep d. Corvian Community
Friday’s girls championship
Piedmont CC vs. Bradford Prep
NCISAA Class 3A state playoffs
Thursday’s boys first round
Calvary Day 67, Gaston Christian 61
Tuesday’s girls first round
Hickory Grove Christian 56, Gaston Christian 24
NCISAA Class 2A state playoffs
Tuesday’s boys first round
Gaston Day 84, Hickory Christian 36
Thursday’s boys second round
Gaston Day 85, O’Neal 58
Saturday’s boys quarterfinal
Northwood Temple at Gaston Day
Tuesday’s girls first round
Statesville Christian 54, Gaston Day 33
Middle school basketball
Standings through Thursday’s games:
(Boys)
Southwest 8-0
Belmont 6-1
Holbrook 6-1
Grier 5-2
York Chester 5-2
Mount Holly 4-4
Stanley 3-5
Cramerton 2-5
W.C. Friday 1-6
Bessemer City 0-7
Chavis 0-7
(Girls)
Holbrook 7-0
Cramerton 6-1
Belmont 5-2
W.C. Friday 5-2
Southwest 5-3
Chavis 3-4
Stanley 3-5
York Chester 2-5
Mount Holly 2-6
Bessemer City 1-6
Grier 1-6
Remaining regular season schedule:
(Tuesday, Feb. 22)
Mount Holly at Belmont
Holbrook at Bessemer City
Grier at Chavis
W.C. Friday at Cramerton
Southwest at York Chester
(Thursday, Feb. 24)
Belmont at Grier
Bessemer City at W.C. Friday
Chavis at Cramerton
York Chester at Holbrook
Stanley at Mount Holly
(Monday, Feb. 28)
Cramerton at Belmont
Chavis at Bessemer City
W.C. Friday at York Chester
Grier at Stanley
Holbrook at Southwest
College basketball
Belmont Abbey 104, Chowan 88: The Crusaders (17-9, 15-7) won for the eighth time in nine games with their school-record eighth 100-point of the season. The Abbey’s previous record for 100-point games was six set in the 1955-56, 2012-13 and 2019-20 seasons.
Belmont Abbey women 76, Chowan 63: Taylor Stelley led the Crusaders (17-8, 15-6) with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
Mixed martial arts
Cramerton’s Justine Kish will compete in a flyweight bout on Bellator MMA 274 on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Kish, a 2007 South Point High graduate, is making here Bellator MMA debut after going 3-4 in UFC and 7-4 in MMA. She will face off against DeAnna Bennett, who enters with an 11-7-1 MMA record and 1-1 Bellator MMA record.
The Kish-Bennett bout is on the 9 p.m. main card.
Pro basketball
Here is the Charlotte Hornets’ full regular season schedule (with results):
OCTOBER
Wed. 20 INDIANA (W 123-122)
Fri. 22 at Cleveland (W 123-112)
Sun. 24 at Brooklyn (W 111-95)
Mon. 25 BOSTON (L 129-140, OT)
Wed. 27 at Orlando (W 120-111)
Fri. 29 at Miami (L 99-114)
Sun. 31 PORTLAND (W 125-113)
NOVEMBER
Mon. 1 CLEVELAND (L 110-113)
Wed. 3 at Golden State (L 92-114)
Fri. 5 at Sacramento (L 110-140)
Sun. 7 at LA Clippers (L 106-120)
Mon. 8 at L.A. Lakers (L 123-126, OT)
Wed. 10 at Memphis (W 118-108)
Fri. 12 NEW YORK (W 104-96)
Sun. 14 GOLDEN STATE (W 106-102)
Wed. 17 WASHINGTON (W 97-87)
Fri. 19 INDIANA (W 121-118)
Sat. 20 at Atlanta (L 105-115)
Mon. 22 at Washington (W 109-103)
Wed. 24 at Orlando (W 108-99)
Fri. 26 MINNESOTA (W 133-115)
Sat. 27 at Houston (L 143-146, OT)
Mon. 29 at Chicago (L 119-133)
DECEMBER
Wed. 1 at Milwaukee (L 125-127)
Sun. 5 at Atlanta (W 130-127)
Mon. 6 PHILADELPHIA (L 124-127, OT)
Wed. 8 PHILADELPHIA (L 106-110)
Fri. 10 SACRAMENTO (W 124-123)
Mon. 13 at Dallas (L 96-120)
Wed. 15 at San Antonio (W 131-115)
Fri. 17 at Portland (L 116-125)
Sun. 19 at Phoenix (L 106-137)
Mon. 20 at Utah (L 102-112)
Thu. 23 at Denver (W 115-107)
Mon. 27 HOUSTON (W 123-99)
Wed. 29 at Indiana (W 116-108)
JANUARY
Sun. 2 PHOENIX (L 99-133)
Mon. 3 at Washington (L 121-124)
Wed. 5 DETROIT (W 140-111)
Sat. 8 MILWAUKEE (W 114-106)
Mon. 10 MILWAUKEE (W 103-99)
Wed. 12 at Philadelphia (W 109-98)
Fri. 14 ORLANDO (L 109-116)
Mon. 17 at New York (W 97-87)
Wed. 19 at Boston (W 111-102)
Fri. 21 OKLAHOMA CITY (W 121-98)
Sun. 23 ATLANTA (L 91-113)
Tue. 25 at Toronto (L 113-125)
Wed. 26 at Indiana (W 158-126)
Fri. 28 L.A. LAKERS (W 117-114)
Sun. 30 LA CLIPPERS (L 90-115)
FEBRUARY
Wed. 2 at Boston (L 107-113)
Fri. 4 CLEVELAND (L 101-102)
Sat. 5 MIAMI (L 86-104)
Mon. 7 TORONTO (L 101-116)
Wed. 9 CHICAGO (L 109-121)
Fri. 11 at Detroit (W 141-119)
Sat. 12 MEMPHIS (L 118-125)
Tue. 15 at Minnesota (L 120-126, OT)
Thu. 17 MIAMI (L 107-111, 2 OT)
Fri. 25 TORONTO 7:00
Sun. 27 DETROIT 7:00
Mon. 28 at Milwaukee 8:00
MARCH
Wed. 2 at Cleveland 7:00
Sat. 5 SAN ANTONIO 7:00
Tue. 8 BROOKLYN 7:00
Wed. 9 BOSTON 7:00
Fri. 11 at New Orleans 8:00
Mon. 14 at Oklahoma City 8:00
Wed. 16 ATLANTA 7:00
Sat. 19 DALLAS 7:00
Mon. 21 NEW ORLEANS 7:00
Wed. 23 NEW YORK 7:00
Fri. 25 UTAH 7:00
Sun. 27 at Brooklyn 7:30
Mon. 28 DENVER 7:00
Wed. 30 at New York 7:30
APRIL
Sat. 2 at Philadelphia 12:30
Tue. 5 at Miami 7:30
Thu. 7 ORLANDO 7:00
Fri. 8 at Chicago 8:00
Sun. 10 WASHINGTON TBD