By David Rogers. TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — A high disciplined and well-skilled Alexander Central men’s basketball team took advantage of home and a raucous, Cougar-friendly crowd on Jan. 10, running by Watauga, 66-47, and tightening their grip on Northwestern Conference leadership.
Now 10-4 overall, 2-0 in Northwestern Conference play, the Cougars went on a 14-3 run early in the first quarter and never looked back. They led 17-6 at the end of the first period, a comfortable 37-22 at intermission and 55-37 at the end of the third quarter.
Four Cougars scored in double figures, led by guard Avery Cook’s game-high 23 points that included 3-for-3 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. Starting forwards Carter Fortner and Chad Lasher added 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Grayson Presnell contributed 10 points of his own.
Alexander Central was especially effective in moving the ball around and finding an open man with a good look at the basket, whether shooting from the perimeter or driving the lane. The ball movement to scoring opportunity was reflected in the team being credited with 19 assists.
Watauga also moved the ball well, but its few open looks too often fell too short, too long, or too wide of the target. Where the Cougars shot 66.7 percent from the field, the Pioneers managed to make only 29.4 percent from the field.
Wyatt Keller poured in a team-high 17 points on the night. His total included five successful 3-point attempts. The only other Pioneer in double figures was forward Jackson Pryor, who was credited with 13 points.
Thanks largely to Pryor’s seven offensive rebounds, the Pioneers held an 18-3 advantage over Alexander Central in second chance points, but the Cougars still seemed to dominate inside play, reflected by a 32-10 advantage in points scored from inside the paint.
One team statistic seemed out of whack and may explain some of the performance disparity. Watauga was whistled for 19 personal fouls on the night, Alexander Central only 8 times.
With the loss, Watauga falls to 7-8 overall, 1-1 in Northwestern Conference play. The Pioneers will try to get back on track Thursday, Jan. 12, in a home matchup with Hibriten.
Alexander Central’s next two contests are both on the road, at South Caldwell on Jan. 12 and at Hibriten on Jan. 17. The Cougars are currently tied with Freedom atop the Northwestern Conference standings, both teams undefeated at 2-0.
SELECTED KEY STATS
- AC Avery Cook – 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocked shots
- AC Chad Lasher – 10 points, 6 rebounds,
- AC Carter Fortner – 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
- AC Grayson Presnell – 10 points, 7 assists
- WAT Wyatt Keller – 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
- WAT Jackson Pryor – 13 points, 7 rebounds
- WAT Josiah Railey – 3 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
SELECTED TEAM STATS
- Field Goal %: WAT 29.4% (15-51), AC 66.7% (24-36)
- 3-Point %: WAT 38.5% (10-26), AC 60.0% (6-10)
- Points Inside the Paint: WAT 10, AC 32
- Points Off Turnovers: WAT 7, AC 9
- Second Chance Points: WAT 18, AC 3
- Fast Break Points: WAT 0, AC 4
- Bench Points: WAT 6, AC 12
