Making history: Watauga advances to state 4A quarterfinals with win over South Mecklenburg, 58-44

February 25, 2023

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Watauga senior Laurel Kiker is proof positive that you can contribute without scoring points -- with disruptive defense and distributing the ball effectively to an open teammate, as here against South Mecklenburg in Round 3 of the 4A state playoffs on Feb. 25. Photographic image by David Rogers

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — MaxPreps.com records don’t quite go back 20 years but there is no evidence that the Watauga High School women’s basketball team has made it past round three of the state playoffs, in any classification, over the last two decades. All that changed on Feb. 25 when the Pioneers swept past No. 7 seed South Mecklenburg, 58-44 — and into the quarterfinals of the North Carolina 4A Women’s Basketball Championship tournament.

Many in the packed Lentz Eggers Gym expected more of a contest from South Meck, perhaps even a loss after the Sabres went undefeated in the Charlotte-centered Conference 49, conference that includes historical powerhouses Myers Park and Ardrey Kell, as well as other strong programs.

Watauga sophomore point guard Kate Sears attacks on Feb. 25 against South Mecklenburg in Round 3 of the 4A North Carolina state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers

Led by sophomore guard Kate Sears (26 points), Charlotte Torgerson (16) and Brooke Scheffler (10), the Pioneers jumped out to a 20-11 lead after just one quarter and kept pouring it on. Errant shots and ball-handling turnovers — what have become trademarks for Pioneer opponents in recent weeks — proved to be South Meck’s undoing under pressure from Watauga’s smothering defense and alert rebounding.

“We started out strong,” Watauga head coach Laura Barry told High Country Sports after the game. “What I mean by that is this team goes into a game against a strong opponent intimidated. They know they are good and capable of beating just about any opponent on any given day. That wasn’t the case early in the season.”

When the Watauga players are hitting on 3-point attempts from behind the arc, they can dominate opponents. Against the Sabres, the Pioneers were successful on seven 3-point tries, three each from Sears and Torgerson, with Carolina Farthing chipping in an additional shot from beyond the arc in the second quarter.

Charlotte Torgerson starts to dribble the baseline toward the basket on Feb. 25 against South Mecklenburg in Round 3 of the 4A state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers

Both Sears and Torgerson did a lot of damage from the free throw line, with Sears making good on 6-of-7 from the charity stripe and Torgerson making 7-of-10.

Scheffler was dominant inside, often on the receiving end of a pass from Sears to go up and in. One play in the second half had onlookers’ jaws a-dropping. Sears dribbled baseline as if to go up for a shot herself, but somehow sensed that Scheffler was in the paint and open. So the “super soph” made an abrupt, 90-degree turn under the basket, under the arms of a Sabre defender, bounce passing the ball to her teammate, Scheffler. The senior forward didn’t hesitate in sending the ball to bank against the glass and fall cleanly through the hoop and net.

Diane McGlamery (13) is seeing her minutes increase as the season progresses. Here, she will go 2-for-2 from the foul line against South Mecklenburg in Round 3 action of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers

To their credit, South Mecklenburg was pesky on defense. Senior point guard Anastasia Sinclair was often marking Sears and did as well as anyone during the 2022-23 season in “containing” Sears’ offensive production. Freshman guard Gabrielle Troy-Mebane was frequently picking up a defensive role vs. Sears and Torgerson, and quite aggressive in her efforts. The Sabres probably didn’t utilize the size advantage of senior center Deidre Miller enough, although the 6-footer’s 12 points on the night was second on the team only to Sinclair’s 14.

With the win, the Pioneers will look forward to a rematch vs. No. 11 seed Charlotte Catholic, a 58-53 upset winner at No. 3 seed Northern Guilford. Just before Christmas, on Dec. 21, the Cougars won a 53-42 decision against Watauga at a neutral site tournament in Cherokee, at a time when the Pioneers were still discovering how good they are.

Charlotte Torgerson leaves no doubt about her free throws on Feb. 25 against South Mecklenburg in Round 3 of the North Carolina 4A state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers

At 24-6 overall and 10-2 in the 4A Conference 59, Charlotte Catholic finished second to Independence, a team that went undefeated in Conference 59 and earned the No. 8 seed in the 4A West Bracket playoffs. In the upper half of the West bracket, Independence lost to No. 1 seed Lake Norman on Feb. 25, 69-48.

Watauga will host the Feb. 28 quarterfinal game vs. Charlotte Catholic, in the friendly confines of Lentz Eggers Gym. Another packed house is expected, perhaps standing room only. If Watauga can get by the Cougars, they will play the winner of No. 1 Lake Norman and No. 4 North Mecklenburg, which defeated No. 5 seeded A C Reynolds decisively on Feb. 25, 56-37.

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