Stacey Lunsford left Statesville’s gym to go home and take a nap. Lunsford was one of a few North Iredell players charged keeping South Iredell forward Aaliyah Jackson in check. The guard also made three key steals and three easy buckets in the second quarter to push North Iredell to victory.
“I tried to hang back, not them know I was behind and anticipate the pass (to the weakside wing) and steal it and not let them know I was back there,” Lunsford said.
Her defense and transition buckets in the second quarter put North Iredell ahead 25-17 with just more than 3 minutes left in the first half. North Iredell head coach Tami Ramsey said Lunsford played a huge role in the Raiders’ 62-46 semifinal win over the Vikings.
“Turnovers are what killed us,” Vikings head coach Michael Fisher said. “We average about 12-13 turnovers per game, and I think we had 12 or 13 in the first half. Our guard play needs to step up right now.”
The series of turnovers gave the Raiders a 25-17 lead in the second quarter and all of the momentum. South Iredell never got closer than eight points for the rest of the game.
North Iredell plays either Lake Norman or Forbush at 6 p.m. Thursday in the championship game.
Lunsford and a group of Raiders kept Jackson quiet for a majority of the game with constant double teams. Despite that, she grabbed 18 rebounds and now has 1,001 for her career.
Jackson and North Iredell’s Mariah Johnson both had a game-high 22 points. Jackson scored 16 of the Vikings’ last 18 points.
Johnson closed strong for the Raiders as well. She scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
Forward Brooke Redmond turned it on in the second half. The Raiders led 32-21 after Redmond scored their first six points of the second half. She spurred the Raiders again at the start of the fourth quarter for a 49-40 lead after scoring their first five points.
“Whenever we are able to get the ball to her, we have to do that,” Ramsey said.
Redmond led the Raiders with 18 rebounds and contributed 14 points. Brittani Cartner was the third Radiers in double figures with 11 points.
BOX SCORE
South Iredell 46
North Iredell 62
South Iredell 14 5 17 10 — 46
North Iredell 12 14 18 18 — 62
SOUTH IREDELL (46): Aaliyah Jackson 22, Johnson 7, Stanley 6, Burby 5, Campbell 4, Coleman 2, Saddler, E. Burby.
NORTH IREDELL (62): Mariah Johnson 22, Brooke Redmone 14, Brittani Cartner 11, Lunsford 7, Robbins 6, Fox 2, Haneline, Moore.
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