MOORESVILLE – Five of the eight basketball teams in the I-MECK 4A conference will qualify for the state playoffs.
Basketball teams battling for potential playoff spots
by Staff Writer
by Cliff Mehrtens
MOORESVILLE – Five of the eight basketball teams in the I-MECK 4A conference will qualify for the state playoffs.
Lake Norman High center Parker Jones (40) dunks during a practice drill. (Cliff Mehrtens/Mooresville Weekly photo)
MOORESVILLE – Five of the eight basketball teams in the I-MECK 4A conference will qualify for the state playoffs.
The lake-area teams aren’t close to first place, but they’re not out of contention just yet. The final conference games are Feb. 14, and the conference tournament is Feb. 18-22. State playoffs will begin Feb. 25.
Here’s a look at each squad:
• LAKE NORMAN BOYS – The Wildcats are 3-5 in the conference, which places them in fifth place. They’re two games behind fourth-place Mallard Creek, but more importantly, they’re two games ahead of sixth-place Mooresville in the race for the conference’s final playoff berth.
Lake Norman lost to Mallard Creek 56-51 on Jan. 29 in a game that could have moved them into a fourth-place tie. Hunter Seacat scored a team-high 16 points.
“I like the way that we are competing and fighting,” Lake Norman coach Brandon Jolly said. “When we get down, we’re not giving up. I would like for our effort and how hard we play to improve. If we would do that and not get down early, we might not have to fight so hard to come back. We have to learn to play with maximum effort and intensity for full games, not in spurts.”
Kishawn Pritchett leads the team scoring (12.5 points per game), as well as assists, blocks and steals. He’s the second-leading rebounder (4.5 rebounds per game).
Center Troy Warren, who has battled two ankle injuries, is also having a good season, Jolly said. Warren, 6-foot-9, is the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer (11.6) and leading rebounder (5.3). He ranks second in blocks.
• MOORESVILLE BOYS – It’s been a rough season for the Blue Devils, who are 4-12 overall and 1-7 in the conference. They’re in sixth place and have lost four straight league games by double-digits – by 15 to Lake Norman and 13 to North Mecklenburg and Hough.
As bad as those losses may seem, Mooresville fared much worse against the I-MECK 4A’s upper echelon. The Blue Devils lost by 36 and 20 to Vance, by 39 to Mallard Creek and by 59 to West Charlotte.
A playoff spot is a long shot.
Forward Dre Howell, who has committed to Elon University, leads the team with a 13.4 scoring average. Raphael Montgomery averages 9.2 points.
• LAKE NORMAN GIRLS – The Wildcats are in sixth place in the conference, but reaching fifth place and the playoffs is doable.
Lake Norman is 8-8 overall and 2-6 in conference, two games behind fifth-place Hopewell in the race for the conference’s final playoff spot.
Losing to Mallard Creek on Jan. 29 (a 60-43 score) didn’t help. Two close losses in conference have hurt – by seven against West Charlotte and by six against Hopewell. Lake Norman trails both teams in the standings and will get another chance to play them.
Argia Gibson, a senior guard, leads the Wildcats with a 12.5 scoring average. Teammate Shannon Gallagher averages eight points. Taylor Stamm and Maddie Riley each have a team-leading 53 rebounds.
• MOORESVILLE GIRLS – The Blue Devils are 4-13 overall and 1-7 in conference, but with a bit of luck it could be a better season. They’ve lost seven straight I-MECK 4A games after opening with a victory against Vance. Three of the losses have been by six, two and eight points, which should give Mooresville some hope on their second pass through the conference lineup.
The Blue Devils are in seventh place, three games out of a playoff spot. They need to win plenty, starting immediately.
A bit of good news – the top three scorers are non-seniors and should benefit from a season’s experience. Guard/forward Taylor Tillery (junior) leads with an 11.9 scoring average, guard Amber Sherrill (sophomore) averages 10.5 points and forward Rakena Bowers (junior) averages 7.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. Senior Zana Tatum’s 7.9 rebounding average is a team-high.
• PINE LAKE PREP BOYS – The Pride (5-7) is on a three-game losing streak after falling 66-47 to Charlotte United Christian Academy on Jan. 28. Jack Hayes leads Pine Lake in scoring (13.2) and rebounding (6.4).
The Pride, last in the Piedmont Athletic Conference with a 0-4 record, will play four games in a seven-day span beginning Feb. 1.
• PINE LAKE PREP GIRLS – The Pride (4-8) has lost three straight games and ranks last in the conference with a 0-5 record. They lost 51-23 to Queens Grant on Jan. 24.
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