South Iredell’s girls basketball team withstood a tougher-than-expected test Tuesday from winless Statesville in the opening round of the R&L/WSIC Holiday Classic and pulled away in the second half for a 47-28 victory.
The Greyhounds, who endured a 32-point loss earlier this season to the Vikings, trailed 24-15 at halftime and were within eight points midway through the third quarter.
South Iredell scored the next 11 points bridging the third and fourth quarters, and Statesville couldn’t recover.
“Nope. Nowhere near,” Vikings coach Michael Fisher said when asked if their performance would be good enough to beat second-seeded North Iredell in today’s semifinals at 2 p.m. “I knew we might come out flat, and I’m sure people expected us to beat them by 25 or 30 points. Statesville is better. So are we. But if we play like that (Wednesday), no way we’ll win.”
The third-seeded Vikings (6-3), who rested most of their starters for the better part of the fourth quarter, were 7 of 21 from the free-throw line. Their ball movement against Statesville’s zone defense generated open looks from the perimeter, but they couldn’t knock them down, going 2 of 15 from beyond the arc.
A decided advantage on the boards proved pivotal. South Iredell outrebounded the Greyhounds 47-20. Second- and third-chance scoring opportunities allowed the lead to balloon.
“That’s something we’re working on,” Statesville coach Adrienne Long said. “Be stronger. Fight harder.”
Aaliyah Jackson recorded game highs in points (12) and rebounds (18). The South Iredell senior, who scored her 1,000th point earlier this season, is 17 rebounds shy of 1,000 for her career.
Ineya Hairston scored nine points and Hailey Wright pitched in with eight for the Greyhounds (0-11), who looked like a team hungry for their first win. They play at 10 a.m. in today’s fifth-place consolation game.
“I was really pleased with the girls,” Long said. “They played a tough ballgame all the way through.”
Amanda Stanley scored 10 points and snared nine rebounds, and Shamiya Coleman supplied nine points and eight rebounds for the Vikings.
South Iredell will try to avenge a 51-46 loss earlier this season to defending tournament champion North Iredell in today’s semifinals. The Vikings were on the brink of winning the first meeting before collapsing late.
“I think it’s going to be a game of matchups,” Fisher said. “If we give the effort we gave against them last time and hit our free throws, I think that will be the difference in winning and losing for us.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL
South Iredell 47
Statesville 28
Statesville 8 7 5 8 — 28
South Iredell 11 13 10 13 — 47
STATESVILLE (28): Ineya Hairston 9, Wright 8, Padgett 6, McKinney 2, Lewis 2, Elliott 1.
SOUTH IREDELL (47): Aaliyah Jackson 12, Amanda Stanley 10, Coleman 9, C. Burby 6, Campbell 4, Hayden 2, Johnson 2, Saddler 2.
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