In a matchup of county rivals, Mooresville held off Statesville 75-70 in a hotly contested matchup in front og a packed house.
When asked the key to the game, Greyhounds coach Sonny Schofield quickly responded, "Rebounding."
"We take away their second-chance points, and it's a different ballgame," Schofield said.
The Blue Devils outrebounded the Greyhounds 49-34, led by Pat O'Brien, who pulled down eight and Jay Willis and Dontae Carson, who each snagged seven.
Mooresville looked ready to run the Greyhounds out of the gym in the early going.
The Blue Devils went on a 9-0 run, highlighted by Carson's one-handed dunk, to grab a 13-4 lead.
Mooresville continued its stellar play until midway through the second quarter when Statesville heated up.
Down 28-11, Salif Mott and Marquise Willis sparked the Greyhounds to a 12-0 run to get Statesville within striking distance of the Blue Devils.
Mooresville, however, kept the Hounds at arms-length until a late run pulled Statesville to within one at 61-60 with three minutes left.
Carson took over from here, sinking a crucial basket and assisting on another to stretch the lead to 65-60, and the Hounds never got closer than five the rest of the way.
Clutch free throw shooting by the Devils down the stretch sealed the victory.
"They're a smaller and quicker team, and we used our size to our advantage tonight," said Mooresville coach Mike Micklow. "Pat O'Brien did a great job on the boards. I thought he made a big difference."
Mickow also pointed to second-year starter Isaiah Johnson, who led the Devils with 20 points.
"Isaiah was the difference tonight," Mickalow said. "He played really well. He hit all his free throws down the stretch. If we didn't have him, I think that it would have been a long night for us."
Kendrick Johnson and Carson each pumped in 12 while Jay Willis had 11 for the Devils.
Willis led Statesville (0-2) with 15 points while Mott and Cravon Summers each added 10.
Mooresville (1-1) travels to Northwest Cabarrus on Tuesday while Statesville hosts Lake Norman Dec. 1.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement