Saturday’s boys’ basketball rewind: Burlington School stops Weddington in Phenom finale
It’s not easy to beat a Gary Ellington-coached Weddington High boys’ basketball team.
Nobody had done it in nearly four years, and even when The Burlington School built a 13-point lead over the Warriors in the fourth quarter Saturday evening, Weddington still battled back.
In the end, The Burlington School prevailed, beating the Warriors 69-63 for the championship of the Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic at Cox Mill High.
It was the first time an Ellington-coached Weddington team lost since the Warriors fell to Freedom in the 3A West Regional finals on March 3, 2020.
Weddington went 18-0 and won the 3A state title in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, and finished 31-0 with a 4A state title in the 2021-22 campaign.
Ellington left as head coach last season to work as a college assistant but returned this season – and guided the Warriors to an 11-0 start before Saturday night.
That was 60 straight victories for Weddington with Ellington as head coach.
“Yeah, that was quite a streak,” Ellington said Saturday night after the loss. “We’ve had a lot of good players.”
The Burlington School, with a big size advantage over the Warriors are nearly every spot on the floor, led 38-27 at halftime and was up 50-39 after three quarters.
The lead grew to 52-39 with 7:11 left, and it seemed as if Weddington was finished.
And that, Ellington said, has been a familiar theme so far this season.
“We keep digging ourselves in a hole, and they we have to battle back,” he said.
Ellington, a fan of “Rocky” films, said his team’s first-half performances at times this season have resembled those scenes when Rocky Balboa is pummeled in the early rounds – then battles back.
So it was Saturday. Matthew Powers hit a 3-pointer, and Grant Hamilton added a free throw and then a basket – and suddenly, The Burlington School’s lead was down to 52-45 with 6:29 to play.
Weddington never got closer than five points the rest of the way, but the Spartans (14-5) were unable to really pull away.
It wasn’t until The Burlington School’s Cam Flippen hit three free throws in the final minute that the Spartans finally clinched the victory.
Hamilton, Weddington’s long-distance shooting specialist, had a huge game. He finished with 30 points and five rebounds. K.J. Younger added 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Burlington School, which has won three straight private school state championships, got 25 points and six rebounds from senior guard Zion Walker, named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Hamilton and Younger were named to the all-tournament first team, along with Lake Norman’s Trent Steinour and Carmel Christian’s Kam Taylor.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to get our guys to start a game strong,” Ellington said. “It seems like they’ve got to get angry before they wake up. I guess I need to find a way to make them angry before the game starts.”
Lake Norman 76, Davidson Day 64: Josh Yates scored 22 points and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, leading Lake Norman to a third-place finish in the tournament. Santana Lynch added 15 points and five rebounds.
Mason Smith (15 points, six rebounds) and Brady Lester (11 points, seven rebounds) paced Davidson Day.
Northside Christian 60, Gaston Christian 39: Kyrell Shaw’s 20 points and six rebounds led Northside Christian to victory in the fifth-place game. Gabriel Mabor led Gaston Christian with 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Cox Mill 77, Carmel Christian 65: The host Chargers took seventh place, as Sean Dunn totaled 25 points, seven assists and six steals. Cruz Miller added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Kam Taylor’s 24 points and seven rebounds topped Carmel Christian. Bryce Slay added 19 points and seven assists.
Salisbury 76, Concord Academy 63: Sean Birmingham totaled 22 points for Concord Academy in its loss to 2A state power Salisbury in a “showcase” game at the Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic.
North Meck falls in Florida
North Mecklenburg dropped a 78-71 decision Saturday to McEachern (GA) in the consolation championship of the City of Palms Classic at Fort Myers, Fla.
The Vikings led by eight points in the first quarter but ultimately were hurt by cold shooting. Duke commit Isaiah Evans was double-teamed throughout the game and finished with 9-of-25 field goal shooting. He and Trey Maxwell led North Mecklenburg with 21 points apiece.
The Vikings shot 39 3-pointers, making 14 for 37 percent.
Arious Bailey led McEachern with 32 points and 17 rebounds.
Friday’s boys’ basketball rewind: Ardrey Kell wins 10th straight, tournament title
The Ardrey Kell Knights won their 10th straight game Friday night in the championship game of the Hickory Tavern/Chick-fil-A Classic.
Ardrey Kell defeated Butler, 74-67, in the championship game after having a great second half in which the Knights scored 48 points.
“We set this (event) up to have three games in three days at home,” Ardrey Kell head coach Mike Craft said. “We wanted to have some good competition. Butler was certainly a great competitor tonight.”
The Knights trailed by two points at halftime, and Craft wanted his team to settle down and exploit what they went over in game-planning sessions.
“Butler did a great job on us in the first half,” Craft said. “We knew we had to come out in the second half and make some shots and get some stops. I think we did that. (Tyler) Showalter is a heck of a player and he had a heck of a game, but I felt like we did get some key stops and do get some key rebounds.”
Junior shooting guard Brett Freeman led the Knights with 25 points and was named the MVP of the tournament. His performance in the second half was the catalyst for the Knights.
Freeman, who scored 23 points in the second half, took Craft’s halftime message to heart.
“(Craft) was just saying lock in on defense and play as a whole,” Freeman recalled. “Don’t be selfish; be selfless. So, we just came out and kept running our sets and running our plays and got through it with a (win).”
The Knights and Bulldogs will have a nice break before their next games. Ardrey Kell opens up SoMeck4A conference play against conference favorite Myers Park on Jan. 5.
“I haven’t started watching film on them,” Craft said, “I’ve just heard, I’ve not seen them yet. But, they’ve got three top 100 players. So, it will be a challenge for anybody who plays Myers Park this year. But, we will have a good game plan and try to get ready for them.”
Three who made a difference
Caden Caskey, Ardrey Kell: Caskey finished the game with 21 points. Much like his teammate Freeman, a lot of his points came in the second half. He finished several tough layups around the rim, getting fouled in the process several times.
Brett Freeman, Ardrey Kell: Freeman’s play in the second half opened up a lot of scoring opportunities for his teammates as well. He started to draw a second defender when the ball was in his hands, leaving someone else open.
Tyler Showalter, Butler: The 6-6 senior forward led all scorers with 31 points. He couldn’t seem to miss in the fourth quarter as he was trying to bring his team back late.
What’s next?
Butler and Ardrey Kell have a break until after the new year. The Knights travel to Myers Park on Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m., while Butler will host Fort Mill’s Indian Land on Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s #BIG5 top performers
Isaiah Evans, North Mecklenburg: At the City of Palms Classic in Florida, Evans led the Vikings to a 70-62 win over Millennium (AZ) in a consolation semifinal. Evans had 30 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He shot 11-of-23 from the field, 5-of-12 from the 3-point line and made all three of his free throws. North Meck will play McEachern in the consolation finals Saturday. McEachern beat Cannon School 97-66 Friday.
Gabriel Mabor, Gaston Christian: In a 64-53 win over Cox Mill, Mabor had 20 points, 17 rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist.
Kyrell Shaw, Northside Christian: In a 55-44 win over Carmel Christian at the Phenom Holiday Classic at Cox Mill, Shaw had 24 points and 10 rebounds.
KJ Younger, Weddington: In a 72-71 upset over No. 4 Lake Norman, Younger scored at the buzzer to give his unranked team the win. Younger finished with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists. Weddington will play Burlington School Saturday in the championship game of the Phenom Hoops’ Holiday Classic at Cox Mill at 6:30 p.m.
Quay Watson, Hopewell: In a 72-59 win over Concord Academy, Watson had a game-high 26 points, plus three rebounds and two assists.
Friday’s boys box scores
NO. 2 NORTH MECKLENBURG 70, MILLENIUM (AZ) 62
North Mecklenburg 18 8 21 23 – 70
Millennium 10 18 13 21 – 62
NORTH MECKLENBURG 70 — Isaiah Evans 30, Trey Maxwell 17, Traylor 8, Young 8, Pierce 4, C. Evans 3
MILLENNIUM 62 — Cameron Holmes 15, Kingstron Tosi 15, Everson 9 Cain 9, Barrett 9, Amundsen 3, Franklin 2
Notable: For North Mecklenburg, Isaiah Evans (30 points, eight rebounds, three steals), Trey Maxwell (17 points, five rebounds, two steals), Chadlyn Traylor (eight points, six rebounds, three assists) and Ashton Pierce (nine points, four assists) all had big games. Millennium’s Cameron Holme, a top 25 sophomore nationally, had 15 points. The Vikings play McEachern (GA) Saturday in the City of Palms Consolation championship. McEachern’s Ace Bailey, a 6-8 forward signed to Rutgers, is the No. 3 recruit in the nation. He had 43 points, 19 rebounds in a 97-66 win over Cannon School Friday.
WEDDINGTON 72, NO. 4 LAKE NORMAN 71
Weddington 15 10 25 22 — 72
Lake Norman 25 15 12 19 — 71
WEDDINGTON 72 — Ellyson 2, Grant Hamilton 23, Aiden Cook 12, Zepp 4, Nnoji 2, Matthew Powers 3, KJ Younger 23
LAKE NORMAN 71 — Googins 6, Josh Yates 11, Santana Lynch 15, Tre McKinnon 17, Arnold 5, Dryden 3, Trent Steinour 14
NO. 5 CHAMBERS 87, SALISBURY 71
Chambers 24 18 22 23 — 87
Salisbury 9 16 20 26 — 71
CHAMBERS 87 — Markus Kerr 14, McCoy 3, Malik McCotter 12, Tarris Bouie 13, Jordan Patton 11, Jaydon Terrell 11, Martin 2, Thompson 6, Maurio Hanson 15
SALISBURY 71 — Walker 3, Juke Harris 28, Brown 2, Ross 4, Geter 6, Davidson 9, Webb 8, Davis 9, Taylor 2
Notable: For Salisbury, national top 100 recruit Juke Harris had 28 points, six rebounds. For Chambers, center Maurio Hanson had 15 points, six rebounds, four assists.
THE BURLINGTON SCHOOL 65, NO. 10 DAVIDSON DAY 60
DAVIDSON DAY 60 — Jacobs 5, Isaiah Denis 18, Spruill 9, Smith 6, Stevens 2, Brady Kester 20
BURLINGTON SCHOOL 65 — Outlaw 8, Zion Walker 23, King Gibson 15, Cam Flippen 10, Durham 7, Randoph 2
NO. 11 NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 55, CARMEL CHRISTIAN 44
Carmel Christian 12 13 9 10 — 44
Northsie Christian 11 11 23 10 — 55
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 44 — Kennedy 5, Slay 9, Kam Taylor 30
NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 55 — Jones 8, Johnson-Freeman 2, Kyrell Shaw 24, Smith 8, Bullock 2, Cowan 9
Notable: For Carmel Christian, Kam Taylor had 30 ponts, eight rebounds. For Northside, Kyrell Shaw had 24 points, 10 rebounds.
ARDREY KELL 74, BUTLER 67
Ardrey Kell 18 8 26 22 — 75
Butler 15 13 14 25 — 67
ARDREY KELL 75 — Brett Freeman 24, Caden Caskey 21, Delani Hammonds 16, Bryceton Thomas 5, Matthew Craft 4, Preston Griffiths 2, Jake Weckerle 2
BUTLER 67 — Milligan 8, Currence 4, Grier 10, Showalter 31, Badio 3, Starnes 6, Branch 5
Record: Ardrey Kell 11-3 (1-0)
CHARLOTTE LATIN 72, PORTER RIDGE 60
Porter Ridge 19 14 16 11 — 60
Charlotte Latin 19 19 15 19 — 72
PORTER RIDGE 60 — Samaj Long 8, Garrett Cox 14, Rai’Shawn Elmore 3, Jacob Conroy 8, Dennis Kurucu 12, Ziggy Harris 5, Jared Lockhart 10
CHARLOTTE LATIN 72 — Brendan Miles 2, Titus Ivory 7, James Jones 10, Nicholes Levy 24, Alex Dauska 8, Jordan Pence 13, Joe McGirt 9
Notable: This was the third-place game at the Hickory Tavern/Chick-Fil-A tournament at Ardrey Kell.
GASTON CHRISTIAN 64, COX MILL 53
Cox Mill 13 13 12 15 — 53
Gaston Christian 21 12 16 16 — 64
COX MILL 53 — Teeshon Smith 18, Peck 4, Dunn 9, Bright 1, Cruz Miller 11, Carawell 6, Brown 4
GASTON CHRISTIAN 64 — Gabriel Mabor 20, Williams 2, Cameron Newman 20, Carpenter 3, Bynum 2, Joe Rhyne 12, Duhon 3, Joy 2, Adiak 2
Notable: For Gaston Christian, Gabriel Mabor had 20 points, 17 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Teammate Cam Newman had 20 points, four rebounds, five assists. For Cox Mill, Teeshon Smith had 18 points, two assists.
HOPEWELL 72, CONCORD ACADEMY 59
Hopewell 17 11 16 26 — 72
Concord Academy 13 14 17 15 — 59
HOPEWELL 72 — Julien Mack 15, Quay Watson 26, Brown 3, Eley 8, Tayari Hines 15, Gibbs 5
CONCORD ACADEMY 59 — Howard 2, McCormick 5, Jake Benham 20, Sean Birmingham 12, Andre Rudy 10, Alek Kornecki 12
HOUGH 64, STATESVILLE 53
Hough 22 4 21 17 — 64
Statesville 10 14 11 18 — 53
HOUGH 64 — Cole Galombeck 23, Evan Otto 16, Nesta 7, Slusher 6, Skovira 5, Funderburk 4, Spear 3
Notable: For Hough, Cole Galombeck led the Huskies with 23 points, five rebounds and three steals. Matt Nesta and John Slusher added four rebounds and four assists each.
INDEPENDENCE 51, CLOVER (SC) 47
Clover (SC) 8 8 18 13 — 47
Independence 17 15 5 14 — 51
CLOVER 47 — Hunter Decuir 13, Jaylon Hoover 11, Lail 6, Palumbo 5, Agard 5, Parks 3, Murphy 2, Watson 2
INDEPENDENCE 51 — Tosh Alberga 16, Barnes 8, Kam. Jasper 6, Kal. Jasper 5, Thomason 5, Neely 4, Macharia 4, Johnson 3
Records: Clover (SC) 3-6; Independence 8-3
PROVIDENCE 53, BERRY 51
Providence 17 11 16 9 — 53
Berry 13 10 16 12 — 51
PROVIDENCE 53 — Siegel 23, Gaither 16, Taylor 8, Conde 5, Singletary 1
BERRY 51 — Waritay 14, Joyner 9, Taylor 7, Williams 5, Brice 4, Meriweather 4, Chester 4, Ellis 4
Notable: Providence gets its first two-game win streak of the season.
SOUTH MECKLENBURG 63, MILLCREEK (GA) 53
South Meck 11 24 22 10 — 67
Millcreek 13 11 11 15 — 53
SOUTH MECKLENBURG 67 — Y. Chudger 17, A. Skelton 16, B. Houpt 10, P.Moye 10
MILLCREEK 53 — Lolu 11, Fiach 10
Records: South Meck 10-0; Millcreek 6-6
WESTMINSTER CATAWBA 68, MOUNT ZION 60
Westminster Catawba 15 23 19 11 — 68
Mount Zion 16 24 9 11 — 60
WESTMINSTER CATAWBA 67 — Stephen Quinn 21, Drew Quinn 2, Kenyon Addie 9, Nikayle Hodge 11, Brycen Redmon 10, Littlejohn 6, Justin Rushin 9
MOUNT ZION 60 — Xavier 4, Amari Jones 12, Rice 6, Josh 8, Prince 12, Bryce 8, AJ 8, Sharife 2
Notable: At the BAM Winter Classic at Olympic High School in Charlotte, Westminster improved to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in the tournament. Stephen Quinn led his team way with 21 Points and 11 Rebounds. Westminster plays next week in The Lowcountry Roundball Classic in Charleston, SC (December 27-30).
PHOTOS: Butler at Ardrey Kell
Friday’s scores, Saturday’s schedule
Friday
BAM Winter Classic
(at Olympic)
(girls) Olympic 58, Sugar Creek Charter 15
(girls) Salisbury 63, West Charlotte 58
(girls) Weddington 47, Palisades 44
(girls) Nansemond River (VA) 62, Harding 11
(boys) Palisades 64, Sugar Creek Charter 55
(boys) Garinger 71, Jackson Day 55
(boys) Westminster Catawba 71, Mount Zion Prep 55
(boys) Niagara Falls (NY) 46, West Charlotte 45
(boys) Olympic 68, North Hills Christian 53
Big Mac Classic (boys)
(at Byrnes High, Duncan, SC)
Seventh-place game: High Pointe Academy 58, Columbia 50
Fifth-place game: Woodmont 70, Rock Hill 49
Third-place game: J.L. Mann 88, Mauldin 77
Championship: Byrnes 79, Catawba Ridge 54
Border Classic (boys)
(at Independence High)
Hickory Ridge 79, East Ridge (TN) 49
West Cabarrus 65, Dreher (SC) 58
White Oak 55, Andrews (SC) 25
South Mecklenburg 67, Mill Creek (GA) 53
Science Hill (TN) 54, Fort Mill 42
Panther Creek 58, Rockdale County (GA) 56
Independence 51, Clover 47
Cayce Roundball Classic (boys)
(at Brookland-Cayce High, SC)
(American Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Marion (SC) 59, Sumter (SC) 53
Fifth-place game: A.C. Flora (SC) 56, Brookland-Cayce (SC) 48
Third-place game: North Augusta 61, Cross Creek (GA) 59
Championship: Gray Collegiate (SC) 48, Providence Day 43
(National Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Oceanside Collegiate (SC) 92, Camden (SC) 66
Fifth-place game: Spring Valley (SC) 44, Lower Richland (SC) 39
Third-place game: New Hampstead (GA) 53, Greer (SC) 44
Championship: Lancaster 69, Hiram (GA) 65
Cherokee Invitational (girls)
(at Cherokee Resort Center)
(multiple gyms in use)
(Adalvquodi/Honor Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Patrick Henry (VA) 38, Newton-Conover 35
Fifth-place game: Lake Norman 66, Willow Spring 50
Third-place game: Seaforth 52, Hilgrove (GA) 35
Championship: South Pointe 58, Campbell (GA) 47
(Ditlihi/Warrior Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Chambers 37, Luella (AL) 26
Fifth-place game: Huntsville (AL) Lee 43, Lanier (GA) 24
Third-place game: Rabun County (GA) 50, Scottsboro (GA) 40
Championship: Milton (GA) 52, Wren (SC) 40
(Gadugi/Collaboration Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Northside Christian 46, Winston-Salem Christian Regional 40
Fifth-place game: Finest Basketball Academy 60, Mount Zion Prep 50
Third-place game: Legacy Early College (SC) 51, NC GBB 50
Championship: Central Pointe (FL) 41, Southeastern Prep (FL) 38
(Ghigali/Beloved Woman Bracket)
Seventh-place game: Oak City Prep 43, United Faith Christian 36
Fifth-place game: High Point Wesleyan 54, S3 Academy (VA) 40
Third-place game: Cannon School 72, Carlisle (VA) 46
Championship: Winston-Salem Christian National 62, TPLS Christian (FL) 53
(Otsaliheliga/Gratitude Bracket)
Seventh-place game: R-J Reynolds 41, Florida High 26
Fifth-place game: Elizabethton (TN) 50, Forsyth Home Educators 34
Third-place game: Page 30, South Atlanta 13
Championship: Providence Day 52, 1 of 1 Prep 48
(Ulitsvyasdi/Brave Bracket)
Seventh-place game: McEachern (MD) 56, Panther Creek 55
Fifth-place game: Jasper (AL) 51, South Shore (NY) 48
Third-place game: McDonough (PA) 52, Independence 33
Championship: Grayson (GA) 70, Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD) 38
City of Palms Classic (boys)
(at Fort Myers, FL)
(consolation bracket semifinals)
McEachern (GA) 97, Cannon School 66
North Mecklenburg 70, Millennium (AZ) 62
(fifth-place bracket semifinals)
Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 79, Columbus (FL) 74
IMG Academy (FL) 83, Archbishop Stepinac (NY) 66
(championship semifinals)
Montverde Academy (FL) 69, Paul VI (VA) 62
Long Island (NY) Lutheran 76, Link Academy (MO) 63
Hickory Tavern/Chick-fil-A Classic
(at Ardrey Kell)
Girls’ seventh-place game: Garinger 45, Cox Mill 43
Girls’ fifth-place game: Providence 57, Cuthbertson 32
Girls’ third-place game: Charlotte Latin 46, Hough 42
Girls’ championship: Porter Ridge 58, Ardrey Kell 56
Boys’ seventh-place game: SouthLake Christian 41, Cuthbertson 34
Boys’ fifth-place game: Providence 53, Berry Academy 51
Boys’ third-place game: Charlotte Latin 72, Porter Ridge 60
Boys’ championship: Ardrey Kell 74, Butler 67
Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys)
(at Cox Mill High)
(tournament consolation semifinals)
Northside Christian 55, Carmel Christian 44
Gaston Christian 64, Cox Mill 55
(tournament championship semifinals)
Weddington 72, Lake Norman 71
The Burlington School 65, Davidson Day 60
(non-bracketed showcase games)
(girls) Hickory Ridge 63, Hopewell 10
Hopewell 72, Concord Academy 59
Chambers 87, Salisbury 71
Y.C. Winborn Classic (girls)
(at Rock Hill High)
(C Gym)
Nation Ford def. Bethune-Bowman, score N/A
York def. Great Falls, score N/A
Airport def. Chesterfield, score N/A
Blacksburg def. Hunter Huss, score N/A
Easley 38, River Bluff 30
(F Gym)
Fort Mill def. Butler, score N/A
Gilbert 60, Lancaster 52 (OT)
Charlotte Country Day 53, Catawba Ridge 29
A.C. Flora 59, Spartanburg 37
Blythewood def. Marvin Ridge, score N/A
Rock Hill 69, Australian National Team 21
Saturday
City of Palms Classic (boys)
(at Fort Myers, FL)
Consolation championship: North Mecklenburg vs. McEachern (GA), 2:30
Fifth-place championship: Don Bosco Prep (NJ) vs. IMG Academy (FL), 4:15
Third-place game: Paul VI vs. Link Academy, 7
Championship: Montverde Academy vs. Long Island (NY) Lutheran, 9
Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic (boys)
(at Cox Mill High)
(tournament finals)
Seventh-place game: Carmel Christian vs. Cox Mill, 11 a.m.
Fifth-place game: Northside Christian vs. Gaston Christian, 12:30
Third-place game: Lake Norman vs. Davidson Day, 5
Championship: Weddington vs. Davidson Day, 6:30
(non-bracketed showcase games)
Legion Collegiate (SC) vs. Quality Education, 2
Concord Academy vs. Salisbury, 3:30
Y.C. Winborn Classic (girls)
(at Rock Hill High)
Indian Land vs. Great Falls, 9 a.m.
Blythewood vs. Australian National Team, 10:30 a.m.
Hunter Huss vs. Airport, noon
Fort Mill vs. Spartanburg, 1:30
Butler vs. A.C. Flora, 3
Marvin Ridge vs. Easley, 4:30
York vs. Bethune-Bowman, 6
Rock Hill vs. Charlotte Country Day, 7:30
