HS Roundup: Pender boys basketball wins Coastal 8 title

BOYS BASKETBALL

Pender 52, Dixon 46

The Patriots used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take the lead and they never looked back in a victory that clinched the Coastal 8 Conference championship Friday.

Head coach Ray Hankins was especially proud of the title considering Pender (14-8, 10-2) won't be eligible for the N.C. High School Athletic Association Playoffs.

"We had that altercation, but these guys really locked in. They love playing together," he said. "These guys are resilient. They're gritty, and that's a reflection of the character we have on this team."

Malcom McLean led Pender with 12 points. Jajuan Carr chipped in 11. Carr scored nine points in the decisive third quarter.

"We came out in the second half and got to start over a little bit. We just played harder than in the first half," Carr said.

In total, nine different Patriots scored Friday night as they had to cope without the presence of Khalil Marshall. The sophomore guard, who averaged 18.8 points per game, was out with an ankle injury.

Still, Pender had enough to top the Bulldogs and win its first league title since 2010.

Cape Fear Academy 42, Fayetteville Academy 40 (Coastal Rivers Tournament Final)

The fourth time was the charm for the Hurricanes on Friday, as Cape Fear Academy avenged three losses to Fayetteville Academy in the regular season to take home the Coastal Rivers Championship.

Ivan Misic scored 15 points to lead CFA. Jack McErlean added 10.

Laney 60, Topsail 55

Marc McLaurin scored 25 points for the Buccaneers (17-4, 10-2 Mideastern) to complete the regular-season sweep of the Pirates.

Reece Edwards scored 13 points for Laney while Jahi Flowers added 12.

For Topsail (10-12, 3-9), Jamison Long led his team with 24 points.

New Hanover 54, West Brunswick 42

The Wildcats improved to 14-9 (8-4 in Mideastern play) with the victory Friday.

Jalen Anderson scored 20 points and was the only New Hanover player to reach double figures.

For West Brunswick (12-10, 6-6), Jadyn Parker led with 12 points. J’vian McCray added 10 points.

Hoggard 54, South Brunswick 43

Cameron Blanks and Brady Rankin each poured in 12 points for the Vikings (16-6, 11-1 Mideastern).

Jace McKenney scored a game-high 22 points for South Brunswick (8-12, 4-8).

Both programs have two games remaining prior to the Mideastern Conference Tournament.

Ashley 64, North Brunswick 60

Mikai Stanley’s 16 points led the Screaming Eagles (7-15, 6-6 Mideastern) in a tight win. Tai Freeman added 11 points.

Travis Lowe scored a game-high 21 points for the Scorpions (4-16, 0-12). Demond Perry and Devonte Beatty each added 10 points.

Berean Baptist 71, Wilmington Christian Academy 64

Luke Davenport and Derek Poe each scored 17 points for the Patriots (12-13, 8-4 District 4) in a close loss.

Wilmington Christian Academy has the week off before starting up the District 4 Tournament next Friday.

Trask 71, East Carteret 69

Watson Orr’s shot at the buzzer was good, boosting the Titans (8-13, 4-8 Coastal 8) to a late-season victory.

Henri Lambe led the way with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Trask. Ivey Batts had 18 points, and Orr finished with 12.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Cape Fear Academy 73, Coastal Christian 43 (Coastal Rivers Tournament final)

Kaia Simpson scored a game-high 30 points for the Hurricanes (20-7). Joining her in double figures were Chloe Kernan (15) and Jay Washington (12)

Coastal Christian’s Kristina Quigley scored a career-high 21 points by breaking two school records: threes in a game (seven) and career three-pointers made (109). Olivia Edwards scored six points and dished seven assists.

The Centurions fell to 8-17 with the loss.

Laney 55, Topsail 35

Saniya Rivers dropped 28 points as the Buccaneers (21-1, 12-0 Mideastern) clinched the MEC championship with Friday's vicrtory.

Dasani Boney followed Rivers with eight points. Laney has now won 21-straight games.

For the Pirates (16-6, 8-4), Payton Little led Topsail with 13 points. Julia Sullivan and Dashaniq Sidbury each scored nine points.

Hoggard 49, South Brunswick 11

The Vikings improved to 16-6 overall and 10-2 in Mideastern Conference play with a dominating performance on Senior Night.

Hoggard will travel to West Brunswick and New Hanover to conclude the regular season next week before the conference tournament.

New Hanover 47, West Brunswick 40

Andrehya Shuford scored 16 points to lead the Wildcats (10-9, 7-5 Mideastern) to a Friday night win.

Kybreyah Bryant added 14 points for New Hanover and collected six steals. Jackie Ingram had eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Wilmington Christian Academy 38, Berean Baptist 33

Lydia Bradshaw’s double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, coupled with seven steals on defense, led the way for the Patriots (18-5, 7-2 District 4) to cap off the regular season with a win.

Caroline Leggett led WCA in scoring with 16 points; she also collected seven rebounds. Kyra Pickard just missed a double-double, scoring nine points while bringing down 19 rebounds.

Other scores: Ashley 45, North Brunswick 26

SWIMMING

NCHSAA 3A State Championships

Kate Pottle took fifth place in the women’s 200 freestyle with a time of 1:54.74, earning 14 points for New Hanover in the state championships. She earned an additional six points by taking 11th place in the 100 freestyle, coming in at 00:53.85.

Also for New Hanover, Brynn Jewell finished 15th in the 100 Fly at 1:01.02.

Topsail’s Delaney Popella finished 10th in the 50 freestyle at 00:24.90. She finished 14th in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.40). Madison Hoover finished 10th in the 100 backstroke (1:00.21) and 15th in the 200 freestyle.

Also in the 100 backstroke, Liz Boldt finished 13th for South Brunswick (1:00.61).

Caroline Ruck finished 11th in the 200 IM at 2:12.54 for West Brunswick. Eryn Ruppart finished 21st in the 500 freestyle (5.59.41) for the Trojans.

On the men’s side, Matt Enselmo finished ninth for South Brunswick at 1:00.55 In the 100 backstroke, Chase Davis finished 14th for Topsail (00:57.10).

WRESTLING

NCHSAA 4A East Regional

Laney dominated the opening day of regional action Friday, sending 10 wrestlers into Saturday's semifinals and sitting in first place as a team.

The Buccaneers have 70 points, 22 ahead of second-place Corinth Holders. Mark Samuel (106), Evan Kite (113), Jayden Harrison (120), Seth Thomas (126), Connor Johnson (132), Marcus Mondragon (138), Carveon Haqrris (160), Cael Willis (170), Jonathan White (195) and Emmanuel Bell all will wrestle in a semfinal.

Ashley and Hoggard also had a good showing Friday. Jack Dillon (106), Jake Stewart (132), Jon-Luke Horne (160) and Jayln McLammy (220) will represent the Screaming Eagles in Saturday's semifinal action. Dillon will face Laney's Samuel with a spot in the regional final on the line.

While Hoggard didn't have any wrestlers reach the semifinals, Samuel Lee (120), Clayton Edison (132), Shawn Connor (138), Neil Phillips (160) and Sadri Badakhsh (170) all reached the quarterfinals. Phillips fell in double overtime against Ashley's Horne.

NCHSAA 3A East Regional

North Brunswick and Topsail both finished in the top-five of the team standings after the first day. The Scorpions sit second with 48 points, while the Pirates are fifth with 34.

Hunter Campbell (138), Yoel Del Rio (145), Joey Panas (152) and Carlos Meza (195) will represent North Brunswick in Saturday's semifinals. Ben Baker (106), Nathan Bray (120), Ethan Rivenbark (126) and Devon Bell (170) all reached the semifinals for Topsail.

Bender Sanderson (152) and Noah Atkinson (170) gave South Brunswick a pair of wrestlers moving on to Saturday. Atkinson will face Topsail's Bell in the semifinal.

West Brunswick also had two wrestlers win both their matches Friday in Matthew Smith (126) and Sae-vyon McCray (195). Atila Dalmasi (285) will be New Hanover's lone representative in the semifinals.

NCHSAA 2A East Regional

Rogan Heath (120) was the lone member from Trask to reach the semifinals with two victories Friday. He will wrestle Ethan Dixon from Roanoke Rapids in his first match Saturday.

NCHSAA 1A East Regional

Pender's Andrew Ocampo (113) reached Saturday's semifinals with a pair of wins Friday. His second win came in a tight contest with an 11-10 victory. Ocampo will face Rosewood's Christian Decatur Friday.

-- StarNews Correspondent Noah Thomas contributed to this report