Staff report
SALISBURY — Eli Staten scored 26 points to lead Central Davidson’s boys to a 59-49 win against West Rowan in Tuesday’s third-place game in the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic.
Staten made a 3-pointer to open the scoring and never cooled off, as the second-seeded Spartans (8-1) led from wire to wire. Central’s only loss so far this season was to Salisbury in Monday’s semifinals.
Central Davidson jumped on West 7-0 at the outset and led 21-8 before Jalen Moten made two 3-pointers to get the fourth-seeded Falcons back to a seven-point halftime deficit.
The Spartans resumed control in the third quarter and led by as many as 16. Moten made a 3-pointer to close the gap to 40-29 at the end of the period.
West trailed by 17 pretty late when it finally put together a spirited charge, with Jaylen Donaldson, Brant Graham and Moten making 3s and Josiah Young getting active inside. West got as close as 53-45, but the Spartans made their free throws to put the game in the win column.
Moten made five 3-pointers and scored 17 to lead the Falcons. Graham scored 10 with two 3-pointers.
West (6-5) will take on Robinson when it returns to action on Jan. 6.
West Rowan 3 11 15 20 — 49
C. Davidson 7 14 19 19 — 59
WEST — Moten 17, Graham 10, Young 8, Donaldson 7, Queen 5, Bame 2.
CENTRAL — Staten 26, Bush 7, Hulsizer 5, Mullin 5, Trogdon 4, White 4, Holmes 4, Adderton 2, Fitzgerald 2.
