Friday’s prep girls’ basketball rewind: No. 3 Cannon overwhelms No. 13 Country Day

Cannon School’s girls basketball team, No. 3 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, got off to a slow start Friday in a CISAA home conference game against No. 13 Charlotte Country Day, but that didn’t last long.

The young Cougars’ team found its legs and rolled to a 65-45 win.

“I think we had to knock the rust off of us a little bit,” Cannon coach Kelvin Drakeford said. “Not having played since December 30th was tough. We woke up a little bit in that second quarter and took a four-point lead into halftime.”

Cougars’ guard Maya McCorkle led her team in the second half, scoring six of her seven points. Her defense helped force several turnovers and led to transition baskets for the Cougars.

“Maya was solid tonight,” Drakeford said. “We’ve seen a lot better from Maya, but she is our leader and she makes us go. She likes to play downhill. She didn’t get a lot of calls tonight, but it happens sometimes.”

Drakeford wanted to challenge his team in their non-conference games, scheduling some of the state’s top teams such as race Christian Academy and Winston Salem Christian’s national team. His goal? To prepare his team for conference play and a state title run.

“I try to load up our non-conference the best I can,” Drakeford said. “Anyone and everyone that is willing to play us, we will play. I think we played probably five top-50 teams in the country. It just helps us play bigger, longer and stronger.”

McCorkle echoed her coach’s sentiments.

“We played some very tough teams in the non-conference,” McCorkle said. “A lot of them helped knock us off our pedestal. ... Any team that will give us a go will help us in the long run.”

#BIG5 top performers

Courtney Ashford, Northside Christian: In a 79-16 win over Gaston Christian on Friday, Ashford had 23 points, nine steals, three assists and three rebounds.

Amya Graham, South Point: In Thursday’s 64-58 loss to Stuart Cramer, Graham had her 10th double-double of the season (25 points, 10 rebounds). Friday in a win over Hunter Huss, Graham had her 11th double-double (25 points, 26 rebounds).

Delanie Hill, Providence: Hill had a game-high 25 points in Friday’s 57-27 win over Rocky River.

Oshauna Holland, Stuart Cramer: Holland had a game-high 34 points in a 64-58 victory over South Point on Thursday.

Emma Montanari, East Lincoln: In a 77-51 win over Newton’s Fred T. Foard High Friday, Montanari had 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 steals, four blocks and two assists.

Friday’s box scores

NO. 3 CANNON SCHOOL 65, NO. 13 CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 45

Cannon School 65— Maya Mccorkle 7, Madison Drayton 14, Brooke Busby 3, Kierra Morrow 13, Khloe Thompson 15, Aniah Love 6, Hina Nakamura 5, Caylyn Larkins 1, Lucy Way 1

Records: Cannon 11-6; Country Day 14-6

NO. 8 EAST LINCOLN 77, FRED T. FOARD 51

Fred T. Foard 17 16 12 6 — 51

East Lincoln 31 15 21 10 — 77

FRED T. FOARD 51 — Imani Ikard 14, Kinzer Abernathy 13, Davoney Dellinger 10, J. Bailey 8 G. Sutcliffe 5

EAST LINCOLN 77 — Emma Montanari 33, Kiara Anderson 24, Lane Pethel 10, A. Hege 6, T. Thomas 2, M. Schmitz 2

Notables: For East Lincoln, Emma Montanari recorded a triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 steals, four blocks and two assists. Kiara Anderson had 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Lane Pethel had 10 points, seven rebounds and drew a charge.

Records: Foard 10-4, 2-2; East Lincoln 12-1, 3-0

FORESTVIEW 60, ASHBROOK 38

Forestview 11 11 17 21 — 60

Ashbrook 11 7 7 13 — 38

FORESVIEW 60 — Tralyn Phillips 14, Amani Neely 14, Miangel Thompson 12, Riley 8, Baker 5, Forgan 5, Springs 2

ASHBROOK 38 — Nykira Arrington 14, Arianna McDowell 12, Hardin 6, Morales 4, Zyri 2

Record: Forestview 10-4, 2-2 (at Kings Mountain Tuesday)

Notable: For Forestview, Miangel Thompson had 12 points, six rebounds, five assists. Molly Forgan had five points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and Blair Riley had eight points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 79, GASTON CHRISTIAN 16

Northside 28 23 18 10 — 79

Gaston Christian 1 0 8 7 — 16

NORTHSIDE 79 — Courtney Ashford 23, Amani Womack 18, Jakaila Gaskin 12, Gabrielle Golphin 11, Toscano 4, Carelock 3, Fields 3

Notable: For Northside Christian, Courtney Ashford had 23 Points, nine steals, three assists and three rebounds. Amani Womack had 18 points, eight steals and Jakaila Gaskin had 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Northside Christian: 11-7, 3-1

NORTH GASTON 46, KINGS MOUNTAIN 36

NORTH GASTON 46 — Arrowood 7, Thomas 2, Jaleila Littlejohn 20, Whitney Brown 17

KINGS MOUNTAIN 36 — F. Martin 10, A. Bridges 11, A. Wooten 9

PROVIDENCE DAY 51, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 51

Providence Day 15 10 14 12 — 51

Charlotte Christian 6 5 7 7 — 25

PROVIDENCE DAY 51 — Jaida McClure 11 Caroline Swinson 10 Clark 6 Nowlin 3 Stuart 2 Ramsden 7 Levine 6 Fyans 6

CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 25 — Kendal Beekman 10 Lee 7 Kay 1 Fair 4 Maxwell-Wright 3

PDS Record: 13-5

Thursday’s box scores

PROVIDENCE 57, ROCKY RIVER 27

Providence 10 20 13 17 — 60

Rocky River 11 4 3 9 — 27

Providence 60 — Delanie Hill 25, Marlee Whitten 3, Julia Skinner 6, Rachel Roberts 10, Isabella Hall 6, Lindsay Nolan 6, Noelle Williams 4

Rocky River 27— Egypt Overton 4, Camille Montgomery 4, Makenzie Michael 3, Kammille Shoman 2, Tristan Jarrett 9, Emanulla Neburke 5

Records: Providence 6-8

SOUTH POINT 63, HUNTER HUSS 49

South Point 15 14 17 17 — 63

Hunter Huss 2 18 9 20 — 49

SOUTH POINT 63 — Amya Graham 25, Maddie Frank 18, Claire Frank 8, Lexi Birtwistle 5, Lauren French 4, Jossilyn Wallace 2

HUNTER HUSS 49 — Savanni Harris 19, Myla Hoover 17, Brooklyn Swann 10, Arielle Camp 2

Notable: Amya Graham earned her 11th double double of the season with 25 pts and 26 rebounds. Claire Frank had 10 rebounds. Lexi Birtwistle had 8 assists.

Record: South Point 8-6, 3-1 (hosts Crest Tuesday)

PHOTOS: Country Day at Cannon

Thursday’s box scores

NO. 4 MALLARD CREEK 77, HOUGH 31

Mallard Creek 26 26 20 6 — 77

Hough 7 7 7 10 — 31

MALLARD CREEK 77 — Elle Stone 16, Lili Booker 18, Alana Biosse 12, My’Asia Young 10, Jazmeen Stone 19, McGuire 3

HOUGH 31 — Galombeck 8, James 6, Jackobecy 2, Sabo 6, Jones 5, Law 2, Otto 2

Notable: For Mallard Creek, sophomore Jazmeen Stone finished with 19 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three assists. Junior Elle Stone finished with 16 points, five rebounds, five steals, one assist, and one block. Senior Lili Booker finished with the 18 points, four steals, and three assists.

Records: Mallard Creek 12-3, 5-0

NO. 9 NORTH MECKLENBURG 87, HOPEWELL 7

North Meck 36 24 15 12 — 87

Hopewell 0 1 6 0 — 7

NORTH MECKLENBURG 87 — Boston Bates 23, Morgan Knox 13, Kameron Smith 12, Hoover 9, Rowe 8, Joesph 8, Fullenwider 7, Davis 4, Johnson 2, Reid 1

HOPEWELL 7 — Streud 3, Pless 3, Wallace 1

Records: North Meck 13-3, 5-1

LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 53, SOUTH ROWAN 48

Lake Norman Charter 15 5 17 16 — 53

South Rowan 12 11 11 14 — 48

STUART CRAMER 64, SOUTH POINT 58

South Point 12 14 14 18 — 58

Stuart Cramer 14 10 20 20 — 64

SOUTH POINT 58 — Amya Graham 25, Maddie Frank 11, Lauren French 9, Lexi Birtwistle 7

STUART CRAMER 64 — Oshauna Holland 34, Hadley Womack 16

Notable: For South Point, Amya Graham had her 10th double double of the season with 25 points, 10 rebounds. Lauren French had nine rebounds, seven points and Lexi Birtwistle had seven points, six assists and five rebounds.

SATURDAY’S KEY GAMES

(Girls) Butler (9-4) vs. Olympic (9-4), in MLK Peace Classic at West Charlotte High, 11:30 a.m. — The Bulldogs and Trojans open a seven-game slate at West Charlotte. Butler junior Brooklyn Saunders is averaging 21 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Olympic’s defense is allowing an average of only 31 points a contest.

(Boys) Cannon School (16-6) vs. Chambers (9-5), in MLK Classic at Carmel Christian, 6 p.m. — Cannon School will be playing its second tough game in as many nights, and the Cougars lost their last meeting with Chambers, 83-71 in December 2022. Maurio Hanson II (15.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg) is among four Chambers players averaging in double figures.

(Girls) Charlotte Catholic (12-2) vs. Petersburg (VA) Shining Star Prep (11-2), in MLK Showcase at Northeast Guilford High, 4:30 p.m. — This game will feature two outstanding big players. UNC commit Blanca Thomas (20.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg) leads Charlotte Catholic. Mississippi commit Sira Thienou, a 6-3 center, leads Shining Star Prep with 23.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Shining Star Prep plays a schedule composed mostly of athletic academies.

(Girls) Myers Park (13-0) vs. Eastside, SC (8-2), in She Got Next MLK Classic at J.L. Mann High in Greenville, SC, 5 p.m. — Guards Ginny Anne Dumont and Miracle Cheeks each average about 12 points a game for Eastside. Jerin Truesdale (12.8 ppg) leads Myers Park, which has five players averaging between 6.5 and 8.5 points a game. South Mecklenburg faces South Carolina’s Wade Hampton High in the 6:30 p.m. game following this.

(Boys) Myers Park (12-2) at Northwood (11-2), 6 p.m. — Defending 4A state champion Myers Park faces a Northwood team favored to take this year’s 2A state crown. The host Chargers are led by 6-6 senior Drake Powell (18.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg), a North Carolina commit. Sadiq White Jr. leads Myers Park with 17.6 ppg, and Jacob Paraison is shooting 37 percent from 3-point range.

(Boys) North Mecklenburg (11-2) vs. Camden, NJ (10-1), in Hoopshall Classic at Springfield, MA, 10:30 a.m. — The Vikings travel to Massachusetts for a meeting with one of the nation’s pre-eminent high school programs. Teron Murray and Emmanuel Joe-Samuel lead Camden. Duke commit Isaiah Evans had 36 points and 10 rebounds for North Mecklenburg in its Wednesday victory over Chambers.

(Boys) Northside Christian (17-7) vs. The Burlington School (16-7), in MLK Classic at Carmel Christian, 4:30 p.m. — Northside is the defending 1A private school state champion; The Burlington School is reigning 2A champ. Kyrell Shaw (20.5 ppg) has been on a surge recently and leads Northside Christian. Zion Walker is averaging 21.4 points per game for The Burlington School.

The picks

Saturday’s schedule

Phenom Hoops MLK Classic (boys)

(at Carmel Christian)

Butler vs. Hunter Huss, 1:30

Hickory vs. High Point Wesleyan, 3

Northside Christian vs. The Burlington School, 4:30

Cannon School vs. Chambers, 6

Cox Mill vs. Carmel Christian, 7:30

PEM Sports MLK Queens Challenge (girls)

(at United Faith Christian)

Central Cabarrus vs. Indian Land, 11 a.m.

Cox Mill vs. Northwest Cabarrus, 12:30

Providence Day vs. Rabun Gap School, 2

Cannon School vs. Legacy Early College, 3:30

United Faith Christian vs. Concord Academy, 5

MLK Peace Showcase (boys/girls)

(at West Charlotte High)

(girls) Butler vs. Olympic, 11:30 a.m

(boys) Moravian Prep Regional vs. CBA Prep, 1

(girls) East Rutherford vs. Mount Zion Prep, 2:30

(boys) East Rutherford vs. Indian Land, 4

(boys) 1 of 1 Prep vs. Mount Zion Prep, 5:30

(girls) West Charlotte vs. Morrow (GA), 7

(boys) West Charlotte vs. Morrow (GA), 8:30

Nonconference

Charlotte Catholic vs. Petersburg (VA) Shining Star Prep, in MLK Showcase at Northeast Guilford, 4:30 (girls)

Combine Academy National in Flyin’ to the Hoop Classic in Dayton, OH (boys)

Myers Park at Northwood, 6 (boys)

Myers Park at Eastside (SC), 5 (girls)

North Mecklenburg vs. Camden (NJ), in Hoophall Classic in Springfield, MA, 10:30 a.m. (boys)

South Charlotte Thunder at Surry Home School

South Mecklenburg vs. Coastal Christian, in Brandon Ingram Classic in Kinston, 4:30 (boys)

South Mecklenburg in MLK Showcase at Westside (SC) High (girls)

United Faith Christian vs. Clayton, in MLK Showcase at Southeast Raleigh High, 3:30 (boys)

Victory Christian in Georgia Interstate Classic at Athens, GA (boys)

S.C. nonconference

Andrew Jackson vs. Marlboro County, in MLK Showcase at Marion (SC) High (boys)

Comenius School at Durham HA Prep, 2

Nation Ford vs. Timberland (SC), in MLK Showcase at Bethune-Bowman High, 5:30 (boys)

Sunday

No games scheduled