SWR takes first game against Uwharrie Charter, but UCA gets another chance later

ASHEBORO — To win a conference championship, a high school basketball team will have to conquer many challenges throughout the course of a season. 

The Southwestern Randolph High School girls cleared the first of many hurdles it will see last Friday night as they began their quest for a Four Rivers Conference championship.

Jumping out to an 18-point halftime lead and still leading by 16 entering the final quarter, the Cougars held off a furious charge by Uwharrie Charter Academy to open the FRC season with a 60-53 victory at Jack Castelloe Gymnasium.

UCA, which scored just 13 points in the first half, outscored the Cougars 40-29 in the second half, cut its deficit to 54-49 with 1:20 to play, but could get no closer.

Senior Jordin George hit four late free throws to help stave off the Eagles’ rally as the Cougars improved to 11-2 on the season with their next action coming Friday night at Eastern Randolph. 

UCA (9-3, 0-1) played Monday night at Albemarle and Wednesday night at Union Academy before returning to FRC action this Friday at home against North Moore. 

Friday night’s game against the Mustangs will be the first home game for the Eagles since Dec. 10.

SWR, UCA and Northwood, which is 2-0 in league play and 8-5 overall, are expected to battle for the first-ever FRC title.

“With Uwharrie and Northwood, and with the rest of the teams in the conference, it will be a dogfight,” SWR coach Seth Baxter said. “I haven’t seen anyone yet because we’re so spread out around three or four counties. (UCA) definitely will be one of the better teams in this league.”

In this early-league battle — the two teams will play at UCA on Jan. 30 — the Cougars led 12-5 after one quarter and 31-13 at the break. Both teams struggled offensively until George scored eight points in the second quarter and Maddie Strider added five more to help build the 18-point halftime advantage.

“I thought we came out ready to play,” Baxter said. “We made some shots. So many of our girls are getting better each game, which we thought was going to happen. 

“Nauttica (Parrish) made some big plays early in the game. I thought Kennedie (Welborn) and Callie (Harrelson) played really well in the post. Stella (Brown) is showing so much versatility, and with Maddie and Jordin, they make play after play, which is what they have been doing for four years.”

George scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half as the Cougars bolted to what appeared to be a comfortable lead. But the Eagles, behind their core players of Nevaeh Staples, Naimah Al-Arif, Kayla Brown, Lainey Thomas and Reagan Burris, made it 46-30 after three quarters and then opened the fourth with 3-pointers from Thomas and Emory Johnson.

“If we would have played two halves, we would have been in good shape,” UCA coach Austin Davis said. “Offensively, we got looks in the first half. We just couldn’t hit anything.”

Those shots fell in the second half as Staples scored 11 of her 14 points after intermission with Brown adding all eight of her points in the second half. Al-Arif had eight second-half points and Thomas five. But SWR’s George and Strider came through with offense of their own to help capture the win.

“They are trying to take the next step,” Davis said of his team, which went 24-8, defeated Southwestern Randolph for the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the third round of the state 1-A playoffs last season. 

“This is the first season where they have had expectations from what they have done before. They are learning to be the hunted instead of the hunter. We don’t have the time to ease into games. We’re going to get everyone’s best shot.”

The Cougars certainly gave them theirs in the first three quarters, only to see things a bit dicey in the final eight minutes.

“We got on our heels a little bit,” Baxter said. “I think we remembered what happened at the Christmas tournament.”

During a semifinal battle, SWR saw a seven-point lead disappear with 22 seconds left before Asheboro tied the game and won it in overtime.

“But we made some plays and grew up down the stretch,” Baxter said. “It’s great getting that first win at home, holding serve. Any time you can get to 1-0, it’s big.”

George had 18 points, Strider 16 and Parrish 14 for SWR, while Staples had 14, Al-Arif 11 and Thomas 10 for the Eagles.