North Mecklenburg stops Lake Norman in overtime, heads to NCHSAA 4A state final
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Isaiah Evans didn’t have his best game in the N.C. 4A state semifinals against Lake Norman Thursday night, but when the Vikings needed their McDonald’s All-American most, Evans showed up.
After Lake Norman rallied to force overtime, Evans dominated the extra period at the Joel Coliseum, leading North Mecklenburg to a 65-61 win that sends the Vikings to their fifth state championship game in school history.
“We knew it would be a tough game,” North Mecklenburg coach Duane Lewis said. “We talked all year long. You get to the Final Four, final eight, of the state in public school 4A basketball, or any basketball, all the teams are really good. We had the highest respect for Lake Norman. They have some really good players.”
Lake Norman did a quality job on Evans, who had 30 points on 12-of-32 shooting, but made two free throws with 6.8 seconds left to seal it — right after he made a tough layup over 6-foot-10 Lake Norman center Trent Steinour to give his team a two-point lead.
“We had to dig deep to get this win and be able to play on Saturday night,” Lewis said. “No matter what, it’s special.”
North Mecklenburg (29-3) won its 16th straight game and will now try to win its third state title. The Vikings will play unbeaten Wilmington New Hanover Saturday at 7:30 p.m. New Hanover (32-0) beat West Charlotte to win the 4A state title in 2012.
The Vikings lost in the 1987 state final and again in 2006. The Vikings won the title in 2005 and shared the 2020 state crown with Lumberton. The NCHSAA shut down the 2019-20 high school basketball season after the semifinals as COVID-19 emerged across the country.
“COVID, it happened,” Lewis said. “We always look at (the 2019-20 season) as a state championship. But we’re thankful we’re back here again. And there’s roots to it. (Senior) Trey Maxwell, his brother, Tristan, was on that (2019-20) team. So Trey was there as a little kid when we played (the semifinals) at Lenoir-Rhyne. We thought the next week that we were going (to the state championship) and then everything happened. We feel very fortunate. We’ve been to the Final Four, this is five years in a row and (made the) state championship twice. Our guys expect to be here.”
Lake Norman (28-3) was trying to reach the championship round for the first time in 10 years. The Wildcats lost in the 2014 championship to Apex, but won the 2010 state title, beating Fayetteville’s Terry Sanford.
And Thursday, they got in position to pull the upset to get back to the final round again.
Lake Norman rallied from 10 back in the third quarter to earn a 45-43 lead after Steinour got a layup on a put-back, missed a free throw that Santana Lynch rebounded and scored at the third-quarter buzzer.
The teams traded baskets in the fourth quarter, and Lake Norman had two shots in the final 2.8 seconds to win it.
“I thought our defensive effort was great,” Lake Norman coach Grant Hodges said. “They had beaten us on the boards by four in the first half and we came back and I thought we did a great job on the boards in that second half. We got out in transition and got some easy ones. Momentum in that game was huge. Huge shots for both teams. Huge stops for both teams.”
But in overtime, Evans showed why he’s one of the best players in America. In his last two games, against nationally-ranked Myers Park and Lake Norman, he’s scored 78 points.
Evans played all 36 minutes Thursday, often bending over during breaks and suffering through some serious lower back pain at one point.
But, late in the game, with the season hanging in the balance, he made championship play after championship play.
“Naturally when you’re playing as hard as you can,” Evans said, “you’re going to get a little winded. I try to not think about it as much because I know my team needs me.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
Isaiah Evans, North Mecklenburg: The Duke recruit and McDonald’s All-American had 30 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks — plus the game-winning plays at the end.
Trent Steinour, Lake Norman: Steinour gained heaps of praise from North Meck’s Lewis and Evans for his high level of skill as a Power 5-recruited 6-foot-10 center. Steinour had 14 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Chadlyn Traylor, North Mecklenburg: The junior point guard “carried us at times in the third quarter,” Lewis said. Traylor, a Power 5 recruit, had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists plus one block and one steal. He played 35 of 36 minutes and made 3-of-6 three-point attempts.
NOTES
▪ If you want to fast forward to next season, you can probably install Lake Norman as one of, if not, the favorites to win the 4A title. The Wildcats used seven players Thursday. Three were seniors: Lynch, Grant Dryden and Will Googins. Josh Yates, Tre’ McKinnon and Steinour are juniors, and Nick Arnold is a sophomore. Those four underclassmen accounted for 47 points and 25 rebounds.
▪ Lake Norman held Evans scoreless in the third quarter, after he had 15 in the first half. He scored 15 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
▪ Lake Norman was 15-of-24 from the free-throw line, missing more (nine) than North Mecklenburg attempted. The Vikings were 4 of 8. Lake Norman also out-rebounded North Meck 46-36.
SUMMARY
North Mecklenburg 16 11 16 14 8 — 65
Lake Norman 10 11 24 12 4 — 61
NORTH MECKLENBURG 65 — Isaiah Evans 30, Chadlyn Traylor 13, Trey Maxwell 14, Pierce 7, Young 1
LAKE NORMAN 61 — Josh Yates 13, Santana Lynch 14, Tre McKinnon 16, Arnold 4, Trent Steinour 14
