North Mecklenburg punches ticket to NCHSAA semifinals with convincing win at Myers Park
Everyone in the gymnasium could hear Isaiah Evans clap his hands.
North Mecklenburg’s McDonald’s All-American, committed to Duke, clamped down on Myers Park’s attack during a thrilling NCHSAA quarterfinal game Friday night. Once again during the second half, he and the Vikings thwarted the Mustangs’ efforts and turned them into offense on the other end.
A packed-to-the-brim crowd at Myers Park — tickets to the Vikings’ 79-63 win sold out within one minute Friday afternoon — witnessed Evans get the best of Bishop Boswell, Sadiq White, Sir Mohammed and knock out the defending 4A champions. The Mustangs drew first blood and commanded a close game early, but Evans was unstoppable once the second half began.
Evans finished with 48 points. The finalist to repeat as the state’s “Mr. Basketball” honoree put together a remarkable stat line that included pouring in 35 points during the second half (21 in the third quarter) as the Vikings ran the Mustangs out of their own gym.
“This is what we work for,” Evans said. “These moments right here. We spend hours in the weight room, hours in practice running over drills, sets. This is what the games come down to.”
North Meck (28-3), winners of 15 straight, will face Lake Norman in the NCHSAA 4A semifinals — the regional championship — Thursday in Winston-Salem.
Its second-leading scorer, Trey Maxwell III, son of two-time NBA champion Vernon Maxwell, injured his knee early in the playoffs but played Friday night in a knee brace and was effective, finishing with nine points. Maxwell’s doctors told the coaching staff he would have to keep moving to help heal the injury, and his offensive efforts helped the Vikings stay in the game early.
“He’s the one who made shots for us,” head coach Duane Lewis said. “They were doing a good job on Isaiah (Evans) at that time. Trey knocked some big shots down, and it opened it up for us.”
The fourth-ranked squad in the nation on MaxPreps, Myers Park (27-3) saw its 23-game win streak end. The Mustangs were vying to become Mecklenburg County’s first 4A boys’ team to repeat its state championship in more than 30 years.
The energy was palpable all day.
Deafening applause that often overshadowed the PA system was prominent throughout the night. Myers Park students, clad in white and situated opposite their team’s bench, stood in a line that wrapped around the school well over an hour before tip-off.
“I loved the crowd,” Maxwell said. “It just gets you more riled up and ready to play.”
North Meck held a 31-26 lead following a back-and-forth first half. Mohammed drove for a layup and junior Ashton King nailed a 3-pointer that gave Myers Park an early boost within seconds, but the Vikings answered quickly. A 10-0 run, capped by a long-range jumper by junior Chadlyn Traylor, knotted the game at 25.
It was all North Meck late as they built a 20-point lead in the third quarter and didn’t look back.
And on a night that began with spectators on both sides of the gym exchanging chants, it was the visiting crowd behind the team’s benches that had the last one: “Goodbye.”
SUMMARY
North Meck 15 16 25 23 — 79
Myers Park 21 5 10 27 — 63
NORTH MECKLENBURG 79 — Isaiah Evans 48, Exzavier Young 11, Trey Maxwell 9
MYERS PARK 63 — Sir Mohammed 20, Ashton King 14, Bishop Boswell 14, Sadiq White Jr 10
