Staff report
CHINA GROVE — Carson’s girls basketball team beat East Rowan 53-37 on Tuesday.
Carson won even more easily than it sounds. The Cougars were up 49-17 in the South Piedmont Conference matchup after three quarters.
Carson (5-5, 2-1) is quietly making some strides for head coach Chloe Monroe. The Cougars have won four of their last six, the best stretch they’ve had in a while.
East (4-9, 0-3) is in the middle of a rough patch. The Mustangs have lost six of their last seven.
Rylee Hedrick led the Cougars with 21 points. That’s not a career high, but it’s a season high. Hedrick scored eight in the second quarter as the Cougars took a 28-10 halftime lead.
Carson played again without senior Julia Burleson, but got a big boost from Caylee Sheets’ career-high 12 points. Freshman twins Braylee and Brooklyn Johnson combined for 15 points.
Izzy Stepp led the Mustangs with nine points, all on 3-pointers. She hit two long ones in the fourth quarter. Ten girls scored for East, but the Mustangs were held under 40 points for the seventh time.
Carson and East play the SPC’s top dogs on Friday, with Carson taking on West Rowan and East facing Northwest Cabarrus.
East Rowan 9 1 7 20 — 37
Carson 13 15 21 4 — 53
EAST — Stepp 9, Earnhardt 5, Kluttz 5, Hill 4, Oglesby 4, Lawing 4, Miller 2, Quick 2, Stewart 2.
CARSON — Hedrick 21, Sheets 12, Braylee Johnson 9, Brooklyn Johnson 6, Baldwin 2, Sheets 2, Thao 1.
