‘He’s got that clutch gene.’ Sam Turner’s free throws get Country Day past Catholic
Tuesday night, with the game on the line and a crowded gym watching, Charlotte Country Day senior Sam Turner was -- in the words of his coach -- “as cool as a cucumber.”
Turner was about to go to the free throw line with 1.7 seconds left and his team down a point. Charlotte Catholic coach Mike King called a time out to try to make him nervous. Country Day coach David Carrier never had a worry.
“In the timeout,” Carrier said, “we had supreme confidence in Sam. He’s got that clutch gene.”
Sure enough, Turner made both free throws -- they didn’t touch much other than the white cotton nets -- and Charlotte Country Day, No. 14 in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16, won a tough 56-55 decision at No. 16 Charlotte Catholic.
Country Day (10-1) won its seventh straight game. Catholic (5-1) lost for the first time, playing without its starting point guard and leading scorer Ryan Lewis.
With Lewis sidelined, center Patrick Tivnan had a monster game, with 24 points and 18 rebounds. His conventional 3-point play, with just under 10 seconds left, gave Catholic a 55-54 lead.
Carrier thought about calling timeout but listened to his assistants who advised against it.
“We didn’t want to let them get their defense set,” Carrier said.
Instead, Country Day pushed the ball -- playing without all-state Dallas Gardner, who had fouled out. The Bucs passed the ball around and Turner saw an angle and drove. He was fouled.
And when he made the free throws, there was pandemonium.
Country Day was 1-17 two years ago in Carrier’s first season, then 17-16 last season. The Bucs seem on track to top both of those win totals put together now.
“I think we’ve got good players,” Carrier said. “I have people that say, ‘Oh wow, you’ve really turned it around over there.’ Anybody would love to have this team. These players work hard, play together and they’re unselfish. They deserve success for how hard they’ve worked.
“Everybody likes to throw around the word, ‘family,’ and I’ve coached a long time and not many teams truly feel like a family, but this one, this is a family.”
Tuesday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Travelle Bryson, Mooresville: 15 points, 10 rebounds in a 64-60 win over Weddington.
Tim Hall, Westminster Catawba: 23 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks, three steals in a 71-69 win over Hickory Grove. Hall had his 10th double-double in 12 games.
John Lash, Charlotte Christian: 27 points, 20 rebounds in a 71-39 win over Christ The King.
Jordon Nevill, East Mecklenburg: made 11 3-point shots and scored 43 points in a 74-72 win over Sun Valley. He hit the game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer.
Austin Swartz, Cannon School: 22 points, nine assists in a 78-42 win over Corvian.
Tuesday’s Boys Basketball Boxscores
NO. 2 CENTRAL CABARRUS 102, SOUTH ROWAN 21
SOUTH ROWAN 2 6 9 4 21
CENTRAL CABARRUS 38 24 19 21 102
SOUTH ROWAN 21 – Bronson Hunt 2, Aaron Jones 5, Dalton Young 11, Jadon Moore 2, Logan Ballard 1
CENTRAL CABARRUS 102 – Jaiden Thompson 24, Chase Daniel 8, Carson Daniel 11, Gavin Bullock 6, Adriel Miller, Eli Ford 17, DJ Kent 19, Noah Edmisten 7, Cayden Smith 2, Emari Russell, Micah Murray 7
Notable: Central Cabarrus is averaging 91.8 points per game, 22.7 steals, 25.2 assists, and committing 10.2 turnovers per game.
Central Cabarrus 6-0 / South Rowan 1-4
NO. 3 CONCORD ACADEMY 60, NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 56
CA: 18 14 16 12 60
NCA: 21 14 6 15 56
CA: JJ Moore 9, Carson Cooke 2, Avion Pinner 16, Isaiah Tate 12, Noah Van Bibber 6, Petar Asceric 15
NCA: Kamar Goudeloch 7, Arael James 14, Kyrell Shaw 12, Kenneth Shause Jr. 2, Josh Bullock 8, Antonio Perkins 13
Notable: Concord Academy moves to 10-2, Avion Pinner 16p 6r 3b, Petar Asceric 15p 12r 1b, JJ Moore 9p 6r 7a
BUTLER 54, NO. 7 WEST CHARLOTTE 53
Butler: 9 19 12 14 | 54
West Charlotte: 18 10 16 9 | 53
Butler: Zion McDuffie 20, Peyton Scott 9, Steph Soutzos 8, DeQuadre Currence 8, Tyler Showalter 7, Caleb Johnson 2
WC: Alford 14, Raymond 13, Traylor 8, D. Day 6, A. Day 4, Houston 4, Korie 4
Notes: Butler moves to 2-2 and hosts Garinger on Friday.
NO. 11 CANNON SCHOOL 78, CORVIAN 42
CANNON SCHOOL 78 -- Swartz 22 points 9 assists, Henry 13 points 6 rebounds, Birmingham 9 points 5 rebounds 5 assists
NO. 14 CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 56, NO. 16 CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 55
Country Day 9 14 13 21 56
Catholic 17 8 18 13 55
CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY 56 -- Amare Bethel 16, Dallas Gardner 11, Turner 9, Alessi 8, Hewett 5, Bigham 5, Lowery 2
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 55 -- Pat Tivnan 24, Thomas 10, Eagan 2, Kernodle 8’ Alexander 7, Escapedo 2
Notable: Country Day fell behind 11-2 early but cut it to two at half. With 1.7 seconds left Sam Turner hit two huge free throws to give the Bucs a one point victory. Charlotte Catholic falls to 5-1 while the Bucs move to 10-1. Country Day hosts state power Ashville School Friday night at 7:00.
Catholic notes: CCHS played without starting PG and leading scorer, Ryan Lewis (Flu). Patrick Tivnan had 24p and 18r
ARDREY KELL 88, PORTER RIDGE 72
Ardrey Kell 21 27 15 25 - 88
Porter Ridge 14 10 19 29 - 72
Ardrey Kell — Brock Rose 27, Caden Caskey 18, RJ Milliken 10, Delani Hammonds 9, Cole Perpdeau 6, Trent Gerald 5, Jake Weckerle 4, Matthew Craft 3, Ethan Tharakan 2, Brock McCoy 2, Owen Wacker 2
PR- Harris 27, Stitt 12, Yelverton 9, Shumaker, 8, Darnell 8, Harris 2, Adams 2, Cox 2, Kurucu 2
Record - AK 4-3
Notable: Ardrey Kell won its third straight game.
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 71, CHRIST THE KING 39
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN 24 18 21 8 -- 71
CHRIST THE KING 9 9 10 11 -- 39
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN-- John Lash 27, AJ Jamison 14, Ben King 12, Cooper Solomon 10,Terence Guess 3, Wisdom W. Daniel 2, Cove Pesterfield 2, Daniel Guandalo 1
CHRIST THE KING-- Ryan 10, Tampoya 8, Reimels 5, Zuhoshy 5, Kuhn 4, Stern 2, Maxwell 2, Ranaletta 2
Records: Charlotte Christian 3-4; Christ the King 2-4
Notable: John Lash had 27 points, 20 rebounds for Charlotte Christian. AJ Jamison 4/5 on 3 pointers.
CONCORD 57, CARSON 54
Concord 13 10 16 18 -- 57
Carson 15 11 14 14 -- 54
CONCORD 57 -- Brayden Blue 18, James Smith 14, Jayden Beyan 9, Jeremiah Howard 7, Ty Rushmeyer 5, Justin Garland 4
CARSON 54 -- Jonah Drye 19, Colin Ball 9, Mikey Beasley 9, Emory Taylor 9, BJ Howard 6, Jay McGruder 2
Records: Concord 3-3 (1-0); Carson 3-2 (0-1)
Notable: Brayden Blue added 4 rebounds & 4 assists to go along with his 18 points. Jeremiah Howard led all rebounders with 10. The Carson Cougars hit 16 3’s in the game played at Concord in Charles E. Rimer Gym.
Next up: Concord hosts East Rowan on Friday in another SPC matchup, and Carson will travel to Mt. Ulla to face West Rowan on Friday.
CHARLOTTE LATIN 67, SPARTANBURG 41
CL 16 20 20 11-67
SD 5 6. 11 19-41
CL--Sean Rose 24, Nic Levy 15, Ned Hull 12, Jones 5, Houpt 5, Hendley 2, Pence 2, Miles 1, Snyder 1
SD--Caleb Banks 11, James Liollio 10, Converse 7, Wood 7, Stone 3, Graves 2, Tan 1
Records: Latin 5-3, SDS 1-2
EAST LINCOLN 70, SOUTH IREDELL 61
East Lincoln 19 20 15 16 -- 70
South Iredell 12 15 20 14 -- 61
East Lincoln 70 -- Palmer Crichton 16, Houston Hartsell 10, Davis Hill 12, Nathan Kuthan 8, Christian Atkins 0, Jackson Fannon 16, Mason Simmons 8
South Iredell 61 -- Will Vuk 11, MJ Childress 15, Nolan Clark 14, Freeman 8, Kobe Richardson 4, Layne 7, Landon Clark 2
Records: East Lincoln 4-0; South Iredell 2-4
Notable: The Mustangs have defeated the Vikings 5 straight times from 2018-2022. East Lincoln had four players in double figures led by Senior, Palmer Crichton, who had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Sophomore, Jackson Fannon, also added 16 points, and had 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Sophomore, Davis Hill, added 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, while Junior, Houston Hartsell, scored 10 points and also added 5 assists.
EAST MECKLENBURG 74, SUN VALLEY 72
Sun Valley 19 23 14 16= 72
East Meck 18 20 16 20= 74
Sun Valley: Tavaras 8, Tyree White 26, Keegan Mason 11, Cabble 4, Brockington 2, Turiff 2, Kaelan Marsh 19
East Meck: Ahmari 3, White 6, Jonah Lawrance 19, Bowman 2, Jordan Nevill 42, Guy 2
Nevill scores 42 and hits his 11th 3 pointer at the buzzer to give East Meck the 2 point win.
GASTON DAY 61, METROLINA CHRISTIAN 56
METROLINA CHRISTIAN 12 6 24 14 = 56
GASTON DAY SCHOOL 11 17 17 16 = 61
MCA: Price 18, Wilson Jr. 17, Clark 16, Tillotson 5
GDS: Gaston Day Record: 6-2; Next Game: Friday, 12/9 v Westminster Catawba 6pm
Metrolina: Sr. Colton Price 18pts, 7rebs, 2asts; Sr. Michael Wilson Jr. 17pts, 9rbs; Sr. Eli Clark 16pts, 6rbs, 2stls
Metro Notes: Metrolina Christian 5‐6 (2-1) hosts Southlake Christian on Friday, Dec 9th at 7pm.
KINGS MOUNTAIN 70, R-S CENTRAL 64
Kings Mountain 21 14 16 19 70
R-S Central 18 19 14 13 64
KINGS MOUNTAIN 70: Tucker Robinette 16, Bradley Floyd 14,
Kee’Donn Linney 11, Thomas Spicer 10, Wilson 9, Smith 4, Sanders 3, Foster 3
R-S CENTRAL 64: Mikey Wilkins 21, Hipp 12, Baker 10, Wilkins 8, Harbison 6
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 91, EAST ROWAN 61
LN Charter- 15 21 34 21 -- 91
East Rowan- 14 12 22 13 -- 61
LNC- Julian Johnson 20, James Carswell 20, Isaiah Martino 17, Jay Morgan 9, Charlie Fox 8, Tommy Fox 5, Brady Kester 4, Garson Long 2, Owen Lay 2, Jake Borcich 2, Christian Virgilio 2
East Rowan- T. Harris 25, D. Valley 12, J. Wembolua 9, J. Sprinkle 6, T. Danzine 3, T. Everhart 2, W. Chesney 2, J. Brooks 2
LNC improves to 3-2(1-0) on the season and will travel to Central Cabarrus on Friday.
MARVIN RIDGE 66, PROVIDENCE 62
Marvin Ridge 14 10 22 20 66
Providence 16 12 21 13 62
Marvin Ridge - Bridges 21, Johnson 13, B. Dunn 10, Clark 7, Payne 6, R. Dunn 5, Rhem 2, Haines 2
Providence – Gaither 18, Taylor 13, Detenber 9, Howell 8, Van Rensalier 7, Singletary 7,
MOORESVILLE 64, WEDDINGTON 60
Mooresville 13 12 20 8 11 64
Weddington 7 18 14 14 7 60
MOORESVILLE -- Travelle Bryson 15, Evaan Ezhilan 12, Jalen Chambers 10, Marley Samuel 9, AJ Parsley 8, Xavion White 6, Dylan Clark 4
Notable: Bryson had 10 rebounds. Ezhilan had 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Chambers had 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Parsley had 7 rebounds and 3 steals. White had 2 blocks. Clarke had 2 blocks.
Record: 4-3
NORTH IREDELL 45, ALEXANDER CENTRAL 44
Alexander Central 11 14 11 8 -- 44
North Iredell 10 6 12 17 -- 45
ALEXANDER CENTRAL 44 -- Fortner 5, Chad Lasher 10, Avery Cook 15, Hammer 2, Presnell 8, Barnes 4
NORTH IREDELL 45 -- Saunders 8, Beckham Tharpe 15, Kidd 3, Kerr 9, Pierce 7, Patterson 3
ROCKY RIVER 83, PALISADES 70
ROCKY RIVER 83 -- Torres 4, Baccus 2, Anderson 9, Brown 2, Ross 6, Price 12, Grham 4, Noble 7, Johnson 13, Lyles 22, Davies 2
PALISADES 70 -- Hodge 34, Brown 15, Rushin 7, Johnson 5, Ngo 5, Cavemella 4
Records: Rocky River 4-2
WESTMINSTER CATAWBA 71, HICKORY GROVE 69
WESTMINSTER CATAWBA: 15-23-10-23: 71
WESTMINSTER CATAWBA: 71: Tim Hall 23 Points, 14 Rebounds, 7 Blocks,3 Steals, Kenyon Addie 16 Points, 5 Rebounds (4-9 in Threes) Jalen Booker 12 Points 8 Rebounds, Nick Hamrick 11 Points 6 Rebounds, Derek Bradley 9 Points, 4 Assists)
HICKORY GROVE: Armani Henderson 28, Person 3, Malloy 6, B.J. Erwin 9, Nelson 2, Banks 4, Browning 6, Dickey 2, Cabbage 9
NOTABLE: Westminster Catawba moves to 8-4 on the year 2-1 in the MAC Conference. Tim Hall had his 10th Double-Double of the year although he spent the 2nd half in foul trouble. Kenyon Addie continues to shoot the ball well. (4 made 3’s) Amani Henderson led all scorers with 28. Westminster’s next game is Friday Dec 9 at Gaston Day
WEST CABARRUS 74, SOUTH MECKLENBURG 63
West Cabarrus 14 21 19 20 74
South Meck 11 11 13 28 63
WC- Trey Minard 21, Gianni Vines 18, Maleek Green 10, C. Johnson 7, W. White 6, J. Black 5, G. Boshears 3
SM- Peter Moye 19, Anderson Skelton 18, Charles Ormand 10, M. Nesbit 5, J. Gatehouse 5, L. Lynch 3, Y. Chudgar 1, B. Rissmiller 1
PHOTOS: Charlotte Country Day at Charlotte Catholic
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday
Mecklenburg nonconference
Charlotte Elite at Winston-Salem Christian Regional
Palisades at Garinger
Other Nonconference
Albemarle at Salisbury
Ashbrook at East Lincoln
Asheville at Thomas Jefferson Academy
Bandys at South Caldwell
Burns at East Rutherford
Central Academy at Cuthbertson
Forest Hills at South Point
Lincolnton at Forestview
Maiden at Patton
Marvin Ridge at Indian Land (SC)
NCBBB at Combine Academy (boys)
North Lincoln at Bunker Hills
North Surry at Ashe County
Parkwood at Buford (SC)
Shelby at Crest
South Rowan at A.L. Brown
West Rowan at North Rowan
Thursday
Mecklenburg nonconference
Cardinal Newman (SC) at Providence Day (boys)
Christ the King at Davidson Day
Greater Cabarrus Stallions at Liberty Prep
Queens Grant Charter at Mountain Island Charter (boys)
Other nonconference
Asheville Christian at Concord Academy
Burns at R-S Central
Caldwell Academy at Statesville Christian
Freedom at Hickory
Kings Mountain at East Gaston
Piedmont Community Charter at East Rutherford
Pine Lake Prep at Bessemer City
Statesville at Lake Norman
Union Academy at Anson County
West Stanly at South Stanly (boys)
