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PAC Tournament

SWR basketball Sean Adkins v Wheatmore Feb2023

Prep basketball: Teams set to embark on state playoffs

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Sean Adkins of Southwestern Randolph shoots over Wheatmore’s Kamdyn Wood in last week’s PAC Tournament. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randleman’s girls and Eastern Randolph’s boys teams are the highest-seeded teams from Randolph County in the basketball state playoffs.

The playoffs begin Tuesday night. All of the teams from the county are in the West Region.

Second-round games will be Thursday night and third-round games Saturday, all slated on the courts of the higher seeds.

Girls

In Class 2-A, Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion Randleman (24-1) is the West Region’s No. 1 seed with a home game against No. 32 seed Bandys (11-14).

Three other PAC teams are in the Class 2-A field.

Southwestern Randolph (18-8), seeded 15th, is home against West Lincoln (15-10). No. 22 seed Trinity (12-13) goes to No. 11 seed North Wilkes (22-5), while No. 25 seed Wheatmore (6-14) travels to eighth-seeded East Rutherford (25-2).

In Class 1-A girls, Eastern Randolph (17-7) is the No. 5 seed with a home date with No. 28 seed South Davidson (10-13). Uwharrie Charter Academy (11-15) is the No. 23 seed with a visit to No. 10 Christ the King (13-8).

Boys

Eastern Randolph (24-2) already has the winningest team in program history and owns the PAC regular-season and tournament titles. Next, the third-seeded Wildcats will play No. 30 Cherryville (12-12) at home in the Class 1-A first round.

UCA (7-18) slid into the field as the No. 31 seed in Class 1-A, going to No. 2 seed South Stokes (22-4).

In Class 2-A, Southwestern Randolph had a strong late-season stretch and holds the No. 9 seed and a home matchup with Burns (12-12). The Cougars had a 10-game winning streak before a PAC Tournament semifinal loss to visiting Trinity by one point.

No. 15 seed Trinity (20-7), which lost to Eastern Randolph in Friday night’s tournament final, is home against No. 18 seed Newton-Conover (15-12) in Class 2-A. As the No. 20 seed, Randleman (15-11) heads to No. 13 seed High Point Andrews (17-9).

In Class 3-A, Mid-Piedmont Conference regular-season champion Asheboro is seeded No. 7 with a home game against No. 26 seed North Henderson (14-13).

ER boys Timothy Brower v Trinity PAC T Feb2023

Wildcats capture another prize, top Trinity boys in PAC final

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Eastern Randolph’s Timothy Brower goes up for a basket as Trinity’s Jacob Hodges, right, defends. Other Trinity players, left to right, Brandon Campbell, Grayson Earls, Dylan Hodges and Dominic Payne look on. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

RAMSEUR – Timothy Brower was down on the court in pain in the first quarter of the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament’s boys’ basketball championship.

The Eastern Randolph guard delivered much of the punishment for the rest of Friday night’s game.

Brower’s 28 points helped propel the regular-season champion Wildcats in a 74-64 victory against visiting Trinity that marked their first conference tournament title in seven years.

Brower said he sensed his tumble was pleasing to the opposing team’s fans.

“It kind of hit me,” he said. “That turned something on inside me.”

The Wildcats sure know how to turn it on, and even though a 17-point lead shrunk to two points in the fourth quarter they had what it took to turn away third-seeded Trinity.

It’s the winningest season in program history for Eastern Randolph (24-2).

“I knew we were going to have a good season, but I didn’t think it would be like this,” said senior guard Pierce Leonard, a transfer from Uwharrie Charter Academy.

The latest example from the Wildcats might have been fitting.

“It was how our boys persevered,” first-year coach Johnny Thomas said. “We’re not only showing people that we can be a fast team, we’re showing people that we can be a smart team. We can play half-court basketball and in the process of playing half-court basketball, we can get the job done.

“We allowed ourselves to stay positive and stay motivated. So the highlight for me is walking away with not only the (regular-season) championship, but the tournament championship.”

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks, despite not feeling well at times, racked up 20 points and Connor Carter’s 12 points came on four 3-point baskets.

“They run their system well,” Trinity coach Tim Kelly said. “They have so many different weapons. They’re the best team in our league.”

Brower, a sophomore, nearly doubled his season average of 14.9 points per game.

“I knew whoever was guarding me couldn’t guard me,” Brower said, dealing with what he described as a hyperextended knee.

“He got everywhere he wanted to get to,” Thomas said of Brower.

Despite now tripling last season’s eight-win total, this title game was far from automatic.

“We just couldn’t close out,” Kelly said of rallies that faded.

Dominic Payne racked up 25 points, Dylan Hodges had 15 of his 19 points in the first half and Brandon Campbell tallied 12 points for Trinity (20-7).

Eastern Randolph ended the first quarter on a 20-3 stretch and extended its lead to 30-13 by scoring the first five points of the second quarter. Trinity’s 14-1 run changed the game’s complexion.

The Wildcats’ 38-31 halftime edge grew again as Brower put together a stellar third quarter. Trinity ended up in the bonus early in the second half, but the Bulldogs also encountered foul trouble as Campbell and Hodges picked up their fourth fouls with more than seven minutes to play.

Still, Trinity shook off a 12-point hole, with Payne’s three-point play and his baseline jumper cutting the deficit to 59-57. The Bulldogs had a possession with a chance to tie or go ahead.

The next points came from Brooks on a putback of his own missed shot, then Brower drained a 14-foot jump before Carter’s 3 made it 66-59 with less than two minutes left.

“It felt awesome because no one thought we could do it,” Brower said.

The final score might have been closer, but Kelly didn’t want his team to back off.

“Why do that?” Kelly said. “Give yourself a chance to win.”

Leonard ended up on the PAC Tournament title-winning team for the second year in a row.

“I do what I got to do to allow us to win,” he said.

It was the first time either team had reached a conference tournament final since 2016. Eastern Randolph also won that matchup.

Randleman girls after PAC Tourney final Feb2023

Randleman girls respond, claim PAC Tournament in overtime

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Members of the Randleman girls’ basketball team gather with the hardware after defeating host Eastern Randolph in overtime. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Rally from Eastern Randolph creates drama

RAMSEUR – Randleman’s recovery from a few late-game glitches made the Tigers’ championship that much more impressive Friday night in the girls’ basketball final of the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament.

One thing the Tigers weren’t lacking was that internal belief that they would find a way to successfully defend their title.

“Coach (Brandon) Varner told us ‘You’ve worked so hard for this,’ ” senior center Graycn Hall said. “We’re going to show how hard we’ve worked.”

That was just part of the conclusion as the drama unfolded in Randleman’s 57-55 overtime victory against host and second-seeded Eastern Randolph in front of an overflow crowd.

“They earned this,” Varner said of his players. “You play in a conference tournament championship game on their court. We had to earn it and that’s what we should want.”

The regular-season champion Tigers (24-1) didn’t make a field goal in the overtime period, but they drained more free throws and made key defensive stops to come away with the prize they were seeking.

“That’s all I wanted was this tournament,” senior guard Elizabeth York said. “It’s always a bigger win when you win an away game.”

York sank two free throws at the 12-second mark to put the Tigers ahead and added another foul shot in the final second.

Eastern Randolph (17-7) wiped out a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and scored the first four points of overtime.

“One more basket,” Wildcats coach Jeff Davis said of what was needed, noting that Randleman “is a great defending team.”

Randleman needed the defense because the Tigers had a late stretch spanning the fourth quarter and overtime when they committed four consecutive turnovers, shot an air ball, had a shot blocked and were guilty of another turnover.

Eastern Randolph’s rally consisted of Mackenzie Gee’s 3-pointer, two Brecken Snotherly free throws and Snotherly’s tying fastbreak basket.

Hall countered with a basket on a low-post move before Whitaker hit a runner. York scored on a backdoor play with 41 seconds to go, but another turnover with a chance to seal the outcome nearly doomed the Tigers.

Snotherly was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 6.1 seconds remaining. She missed the first attempt, then drained the next two. That extended the game.

“We dug deep,” Davis said. “We gave everything we had. This is the one that’s going to keep us up at night.”

Kenly Whitaker’s basket off a rebound and Snotherly’s bucket put Eastern Randolph up 53-49.

“We can’t give up,” Hall said. “We were so close. I was trying to keep (my teammates) believing that we’re not losing.”

Trouble brewed for the Wildcats as Logan Beaver and Kenly Whitaker fouled out in Eastern Randolph’s first overtime game of the season.

Randleman didn’t score in overtime until 1:22 was showing on the clock. In a 19-second span, Jordan Booker was good on four free throws to pull the Tigers even.

Hall’s foul shot gave Randleman a one-point edge before Snotherly connected on two free throws with 13.5 seconds to play. York did the rest of the scoring.

Snotherly, who was short on a would-be go-ahead shot in the final seconds of overtime, finished with 27 points despite double- and triple-team schemes to slow her down. She still found ways to create openings for herself and teammates.

“She freelanced a little bit,” Davis said.

Hall racked up 21 points and 21 rebounds, and York and Booker both scored 15 points. The Tigers shot 21-for-24 on free throws.

Beaver added 10 points and Whitaker had nine points for Eastern Randolph.

Randleman has gone two full seasons without a loss in PAC competition.

Asheboro boys Hakeeme Butler v Oak Grove Feb2023

Prep Basketball: Eastern Randolph teams reach PAC finals; Asheboro boys suffer upset loss

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Asheboro’s Hakeeme Butler takes a shot against Oak Grove during the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinals. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

RAMSEUR – Both Eastern Randolph basketball teams will be in the championship games on their home court Friday night.

The finals matchups for Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament were set after Wednesday night’s results.

The 6 p.m. girls’ game pits Randleman (23-1) against Eastern Randolph (17-6) followed by the boys’ title game between Trinity (20-6) and Eastern Randolph (23-2)

On the girls’ side, second-seeded Eastern Randolph defeated visiting Southwestern Randolph 75-49 behind Brecken Snotherly’s 37 points.

The third-seeded Cougars (18-8) received 14 points from Maddie Small.

** Top-seeded Randleman rolled past fifth-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy 58-40 with Jordan Booker pouring in 17 points, Audra Petty posting 16 points and Graycn Hall adding 15 points.

Ashara Spurill scored 10 points for visiting UCA (11-15).

** In the boys’ tournament, top-seeded Eastern Randolph had a difficult time in turning back fourth-seeded Randleman 48-45.

The Wildcats had scored at least 58 points in every previous game this season. They led by 12 points at halftime, but couldn’t put Randleman away.

Davonte Brooks racked up 18 points and 13 rebounds for Eastern Randolph.

Greg Price’s 18 points led Randleman (15-11), which closed the gap in the final seconds on Christian Long’s 3-pointer on the game’s last shot.

** Dominic Payne scored 30 points as third-seeded Trinity edged second-seeded Southwestern Randolph 67-66.

Dylan Hodges had 17 points and Brandon Campbell provided 13 points for the visiting Bulldogs.

Southwestern Randolph (15-10) had been the only PAC team to defeat Eastern Randolph this season. Nathan Ellis had 21 points and Sean Adkins added 16.

Mid-Piedmont Conference

Wednesday night at Ledford, fifth-seeded Oak Grove upset top-seeded Asheboro 67-61 in the conference tournament semifinals.

Asheboro (19-5), which was the defending tournament champion, had gone through the 10-game league slate undefeated in the regular season. It had an 11-game winning streak overall.

The Blue Comets, who’ll await the pairings for the Class 3-A state playoffs, received 21 points apiece from Jerquarius Stanback and Hakeeme Butler.

** In the girls’ tournament a night earlier, third-seeded North Davidson topped last-place Asheboro 76-68 despite Salem Lee’s 24 points and Sion Murrian’s 20 points. Sixth-seeded Asheboro’s season ended with a 4-21 record with 10 consecutive losses.

SWR girls J George v. Trinity A Nance Feb2023

Prep Basketball: Southwestern Randolph teams reach PAC semifinal rounds

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Southwestern Randolph’s Jordin George shoots against Trinity’s Ava Nance on Monday night. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Southwestern Randolph’s girls’ basketball team survived the only tight finish on the opening night of the Piedmont Athletic Conference postseason.

The Cougars prevailed 47-46 against visiting Trinity in the PAC Tournament quarterfinals Monday night. They needed a defensive stop on the game’s final possession.

Senior forward Maddie Small made the second of two free-throw chances to break a tie with 9.5 seconds left following an offensive rebound.

Jordin George posted 14 points for the third-seeded Cougars (18-7), who play in the semifinals Wednesday night at second-seeded Eastern Randolph.

For sixth-seeded Trinity (12-13), Kennedy Jackson racked up 16 points and Autumn Gentry and Kaelyn Whiteheart both had 13 points.

Eastern Randolph defeated seventh-seeded Providence Grove for the second time in five nights, winning 51-33 at home. Brecken Snotherly supplied 38 points and 15 rebounds for the Wildcats (16-6). Providence Grove is 6-18.

Fifth-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy won 57-39 on the road against fourth-seeded Wheatmore (9-14).

UCA (11-14) has a date with regular-season champion Randleman (22-1), which received a bye, in the semifinals.

The girls’ tournament final is at 6 p.m. Friday at Eastern Randolph, where the boys’ final will follow.

PAC boys

Second-seeded Southwestern Randolph used Sean Adkins’ 14 points on the way to defeating seventh-seeded Wheatmore 58-38.

The Cougars (15-9), who also received 12 points from Landon Williamson and 11 points from Thomas Leal, are home against third-seeded Trinity on Wednesday night.

Wheatmore (5-18), which hasn’t won against a PAC opponent, had 12 points from Cooper Black.

Trinity’s Dominic Payne tallied 30 points in a 70-61 victory against visiting Providence Grove (7-18), the sixth seed. Dylan Hodges added 13 points and Brandon Campbell had 12 points for the Bulldogs (19-6).

There were big offensive outputs as fourth-seeded Randleman stopped fifth-seeded UCA 66-52. Tyshaun Goldston led the Tigers (15-10) with 28 points, Greg Price had 17 points and Christian Long added 14.

Those outings helped offset Ashton Troutman’s 35 points for UCA (7-18).

Randleman heads for Wednesday night’s semifinal at first-place Eastern Randolph, which had a quarterfinal bye.