Cold shooting and too much Zion Copeland led to Cedar Ridge’s seventh loss in eight games.
Northern Vance never trailed in defeating the Red Wolves 68-52 on Friday night in Henderson. Kalin Jackson scored 14 points to lead the Vikings (10-7, 3-2 in the Big 8), while Zion Copeland scored 12 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.
Dmonte Kinney led the Red Wolves with 19 points, but Khalil Barnett was the only other CRHS player in double figures (11 points). The Red Wolves shot just 23% from the field and finished 5-of-24 from 3-point range.
When Northern Vance wasn’t scoring, they were scoring on stickbacks. In the first half, the Vikings rebounded 43% of their missed shots.
The Vikings surged out to a 12-4 lead, punctuated by an ally-oop dunk on an inbounds pass from Noah Seward to Jackson, which sent the half-full gym into a frenzy.
The impact of that dunk may have impacted the young Red Wolves. Northern Vance promptly went on a 9-2 run to finish the first quarter ahead 21-9. The Vikings shot 52% in the opening eight minutes and forced five turnovers.
Trailing 48-31 going into the fourt quarter, CRHS went on a 10-1 run, spurred by consecutive 3-pointers from Kinney. With the Red Wolves trailing 49-41, freshman center B.J. Freeman tried to draw a charge on the Vikings’ Malik Glasco, but was called for a block. The Cedar Ridge bench was called for a technical foul in protest, and Glasco drained three of the four subsequent free throws that ended the Red Wolves’ last threat.
The road doesn’t get any easier for the Red Wolves. They have three conference games next week, starting at Southern Durham next week. They host J.F. Webb on Wednesday, then host Chapel Hill on Friday at 7.
CEDAR RIDGE: Dmonte Kinney 19, Khalil Barnett 11, Terrance Crawford 3, Mekai Collins 4, Isaiah Brown 2, John Vaughn 1, Colby Cashaw 4, B.J. Freeman 8.
NORTHERN VANCE-Laquad Holden 5, Malik Glasco 13, Kaylen Jackson 14, Thomas Townes 4, Zion Copeland 12, Noah Seward 10, Kenton Pettaway 8, Tyronne Davis 2