7 of 9 local prep hoop teams advance to second round

It was a great opening night for Randolph County basketball teams in the state playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 27: 7 of 9 squads (all 4 boys teams and 3 of 5 girls teams) won their opening game!
Now comes the second round Friday night with most games scheduled for 7 p.m. and a doubleheader at Randleman likely again.
Here’s a look at Tuesday’s results and the games set for Friday night, with an assist from our friends at Sportstone.net.

BOYS BASKETBALL

3-A state playoffs, first round
No. 10 Asheboro survived a pair of scares in its 72-70 win over upset-minded Carson. Asheboro scored the winning points with less than 1 second remaining after rallying from 10 points down in the third quarter. Scarier still, leading scorer and Appalachian State-bound Jequarius Stanback was injured after losing his balance following a dunk with 1:57 left in the game and landing nearly upside down. He was taken to the hospital by EMS before the game could resume. Stanback was released Tuesday night and hopes to play Friday night, according to AHS head coach Brian Nance, but that decision could be a gametime one. Stanback led the Blue Comets with 25 points before the fall. Cam Walker, who finished with 18 points, sank two free throws with 0.4 seconds left for the win. Jalial Timmons added 11 points. A Carson freshman scored 30 points.
NOTE: Carson’s girls team was the one that beat the Asheboro High School girls for the 3-A state championship in 2021.
NEXT UP: No. 10 Asheboro (23-3) will travel to Asheville to take on No. 7 A.C. Reynolds (15-12), which finished third in the 3-A/4-A Mountain Conference. The Rockets easily dispelled with Asheboro rival North Davidson in the first round, 62-40.

2-A state playoffs, first round
No. 6 Randleman defeated Burns (now 13-13) at home, scoring nearly 100 points in a 93-69 rout. The Tigers trailed 25-23 after the first quarter and led by only 1 at halftime before taking charge in the third quarter and running away with it in the fourth.
NEXT UP: No. 6 Randleman (21-5) will face upset winner No. 22 East Gaston, which nipped No. 11 West Caldwell (now 22-6) on the road Tuesday night. East Gaston was 3-0 this season against Burns, winning by 10, 2 and 16 points.

2-A state playoffs, first round
No. 19 Trinity scored its own upset on the road at No. 14 Hendersonville, winning 69-53 over the Bearcats, who finished their season at 19-8.
Trinity was led by Dominic Payne with 25 points, Jacob Hodges with 13 and Walker Parrish with 12.
NEXT UP: Trinity (19-9) is on the road again at No. 3 Newton-Conover (21-7) in Newton. The Red Devils beat No. 30 West Stanly (12-14) 80-58. Newton-Conover finished second in the Catawba Valley Conference. Payne averages 29.8 points per game for Trinity. N-C is led by Javier Lineberger’s 18 points a game.

1-A state playoffs, first round
No. 9 Eastern Randolph 83, No. 25 Hayesville 50.
ER rolled in its opener, helped by a 24-0 toward the end of the first half. Leading scorers were Timonty Brower with 23 points, Nicah Taylor with 22 and Julian Brooks with 12.
NEXT UP: No. 9 ER (17-10) hosts No. 25 Mountain Heritage (16-11, Burnsville) on Friday in Ramseur at 7 p.m. The Cougars upset No. 8 Mitchell (now 19-9) on the road, which afforded ER a second straight home game as the higher seed. Mitchell had won 13 of its last 14 games before the loss.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

2-A state playoffs, first round
No. 5 Randleman won its 20th game of the year with an opening-round 46-31 win over No. 28 Madison.
NEXT UP: The No. 5 Tigers (20-6) will be at home again against No. 12 Lincoln Charter, a 51-40 winner over No. 28 Maiden.

2-A state playoffs, first round
No. 14 Southwestern Randolph fended off No. 19 Hendersonville, 39-33, at SWR. Jordin George scored 17 points while Gracie Hodgin snared 13 rebounds.
NEXT UP: The No. 14 Cougars (24-4) go on the road for a tough test against unbeaten No. 3 East Burke (27-0) in Connelly Springs. The Cavaliers dispatched their first-round opponent, No. 30 Monroe, 57-16.

2-A state playoffs, first round
No. 18 Providence Grove (15-12) fell on the road to No. 15 Forbush (20-7), 77-41, in East Bend.
No. 22 Wheatmore (13-13) lost on the road to No. 11 North Surry (21-5), 58-47, in Mount Airy.

1-A state playoffs, first round
No. 11 Uwharrie Charter outlasted No. 22 Bessemer City 46-43 in game played in Asheboro. Nevaeh Staples led the way with 14 points.
NEXT UP:  No. 11 UCA (16-11) goes on the road to play No. 6 Thomas Jefferson (21-3) in Mooresville. Unbeaten in conference play this year, the Gryphons advanced with a 59-47 win over No. 27 Draughn.