2010 NCHSAA Regional Basketball Pairings...

Western Regional -- Women

Class 1-A: Fleming Gym, UNC-Greensboro
Friday, March 5, 7 p.m.: Mount Airy (27-2) vs. Mitchell (23-4)
Friday, March 5, 8:30 p.m.: Avery (24-3) vs. Kernersville Bishop McGuinness (20-7)
Saturday, March 6, 4 p.m.: championship

Class 2-A: Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center
Tuesday, March 2, 7 p.m.: Salisbury (26-0) vs. Catawba Bandys (26-3)
Tuesday, March 2, 8:30 p.m.: Newton-Conover (27-3) vs. Shelby (24-3)
Saturday, March 6, noon: championship

Class 3-A: Fleming Gym, UNC-Greensboro
Wednesday, March 3, 7 p.m.: North Iredell (22-2) vs. Asheville Clyde Erwin (21-6)
Wednesday, March 3, 8:30 p.m.: Gastonia Forestview (24-2) vs. Charlotte Catholic (25-3)
Saturday, March 6, noon: championship

Class 4-A: Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center
Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m.: McDowell (27-1) vs. Matthews David Butler (22-4)
Thursday, March 4, 8:30 p.m.: East Mecklenburg (26-2) vs. Lake Norman (24-5)
Saturday, March 6, 4 p.m.: championship

 

Predictions

Predictions or expectations for this weekend?

 

Acc Women's tournament

The ACC Women's tournament is in Greensboro this weekend also. It is a great time to be in G'boro if you are a women's hoops junkie.

 

The Western Regional Basketball games originally scheduled for Tuesday night have been postponed due to weather. These games have been tentatively rescheduled as follows:

2A Women
Salisbury vs Bandys - 5:30PM, Wednesday, March 3rd, Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center
Newton-Conover vs Shelby - 5:30 PM, Wednesday, March 3rd, Fleming Gymnasium, UNC-Greensboro

3A Men
Hunter Huss vs Hibriten - 5:30PM, Thursday, March 4th, Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center
Concord vs West Rowan - 5:30PM, Thursday, March 4th, Fleming Gymnasium, UNC-Greensboro

These game times are subject to change, if inclement weather continues. Please stay posted to the NCHSAA website for up-to-date information.

 

Just looking at the matchups...

I think Erwin has a good shot at making it to Saturday, they have really came on strong this season. Good luck to the Lady Warriors tonight. Forestview has the best talent by far though.


In 2A...Salisbury has dominated that classification for quite a while. I think they'll handle Bandys. Shelby is making their first girls regional appearance. They finished in 2nd just behind Freedom in the SWAC 2A-3A. They'll battle a another perrenially solid team in Newton-Conover


I think there is a distinct possibility that the 1A regional final could be a high-country rivalry between Mitchell and Avery. Mitchell has one of the best players in the mountains Western North Carolina (Lakin Norris) she just passed the 2000 point plateau. Norris, a 4-year varsity starter has the capability to carry Mitchell to a State Championship. Newland and Spruce Pine both will be ghost towns if both make it to Saturday.


I'll post some comments on 4A later tonight...

 

2A West Region Scores...

Newton-Conover 59
Shelby 38


Salisbury 45
Bandys 31



3A West Region

North Iredell 50
Erwin 45



Erwin was ahead 22-18 at halftime...North Iredell's Emory Hayes goes off connecting on 5 (3's) in the third quarter alone to erase the deficit. North Iredell keeps the lead from that point to advance. That's a tough way to go out for Erwin...but that's the way things go sometimes. Congrats on a great season to the Lady Warriors.



Forestview 79
Catholic 52

Shannon Smith 29 points, 7 assists

 

Just wanted to post a couple comments quickly on 4A girls West Regional tomorrow in Greenseboro.


As far as the East Meck/Lake Norman game...I don't know a single thing about Lake Norman but having watched the two teams they tied with in the I-MECK, my guess is that they're likely good at a couple positions on the court but most likely not as well-rounded as East Meck is. East Meck is probably the most complete group in the regionals, swingaway...you can probably give better insight into that.


McDowell/Butler...on paper Butler is the better team. Butler has a definite height advantage. Their real weakness going into the season was in the backcourt, with the recent addition of the transfer from Porter Ridge, that has been addressed.


Now...what can I say about the McDowell Lady Titans that people hasn't already said? The past two weeks has been one of the most exciting and unexpected runs in the history of the McDowell program. There has been some great McDowell teams over the years that couldn't handle adversity much less than what this current group has went through.

You lose our two leading scorers and your two best athletes within a week's time and what do you do...you beat a very good AC Reynolds team in double overtime, you beat Mallard Creek and Watauga at home and then you travel to Hopewell and beat them in overtime, on their home, after giving up a double figure lead in the second half.


A lot of things must happen for the Lady Titans to have a chance tomorrow night. It's a must to have another great performance from both Corpening and Gellman, but to be realistic, a third person must have a big game offensively too.

Second...I think McDowell defensively needs to challenge the Butler guards from the opening tap. If their guards have free reign to get the ball in Burdick's and Watkins hands, then it could be a long night. If Burdick has to become a ball handler and play on the outside, then I think McDowell has accomplished their goal.

That said...Butler needs to miss shots and we need to be very efficient.


And lastly...Butler in all honesty has the capability to take control early. But the longer McDowell stays in the game, the more interesting this game could be. Last year's sectional final at McDowell was pretty much decided at the half...


Regardless of what happens, the Lady Titans have done some great things this season. The entire community including myself have been very proud of what these girls have done.

Personally it has been fun as a reporter and as a fan to follow the seniors on this team for the past few seasons. Our support for the Lady Titans will show tommorrow when a significant number of people will make the 2-plus hour trip to Greensboro.

 

Bigdan - I just had a schedule change and cannot make the game. I am very disappointed, as I love watching McDowell girls basketball. Please post some updates to thisboardrocks - fast!

I have not seen McDowell play this year but I know they are well coached and run the McDowell system with precision. I think this game will be very different from last year's game.

One key for Butler is to stay out of foul trouble. If Burdick and Watkins stay out of foul trouble, I think McDowell will have a hard time containing them along with Quay Barrino at power forward. Barrino is an extremely efficient shooter - when she gets her hands on the ball it goes in the basket.

One thing in your evaluation - Burdick will play guard for much of the game and the ball will be in her hands as long as Watkins is out of foul trouble. The offense flows through Burdick. She creates a huge mismatch problem for man - to - man teams and even for zone teams. A 6'3" guard passing from high post to a 6'3" center in the low post is very hard to defend, especially when the 6'3" guard can shoot from the outside and penetrate the lane. Burdick is very unselfish and one of the best passers I have seen play!

Burdick (the 2010 N.C. high jump state champion) and Watkins (the 2010 N.C. shot put state champion) are two of the best athletes in Western North Carolina.

Butler is hard to press because their tall players are good ballhandlers,good passers and good free throw shooters. Butler will want a fast paced, up and down game.

Style of officiating, foul trouble and McDowell's perimeter game will be key to the outcome of this game, in my opinion. Butler cannot be caught looking ahead to East Meck or they will not get the opportunity to play in that game, as McDowell will beat them!

Prediction: Butler by 8!

 

I can't guarantee anything since I don't have a mobile device capable of sending updates. But I'll try any method necessary to provide updates on here. I will be providing commentary on our local radio broadcast tonight. Our games were streamed online in the past but something happened to our provider and their operations stopped.

 

From Greensboro

Butler - 69
McDowell - 43

Final

McDowell was down only 9 in fourth quarter