SAWMILLS — The first quarter did not give any indication that South Caldwell's girls' basketball team would win big over Watauga. The teams were tied going into the second quarter, and Watauga actually took a two-point lead in the second quarter.

It wouldn't last for long. South Caldwell broke the game wide open in the second quarter and rolled to a 48-29 victory over the Pioneers Friday.

South Caldwell (12-9, 7-4 NWC) broke a two-game losing streak, while Watauga (5-15, 3-7) fell for the fourth straight time. South Caldwell trails Alexander Central, the other 4-A program in the Northwestern Conference, by two games, and first-place Hickory by three.

Watauga has two more chances to break its losing streak. The Pioneers play at Hibriten Tuesday and host last-place St. Stephens on Feb. 10.

“This win tonight puts us at 7-4 and it gives us that second-place seed in the 4-A conference,” South Caldwell coach Jeff Parham said. “It was a big game and the girls knew that. Defensively we clamped down and did a good job tonight.”

Watauga looked ready to be equal to the Spartans by tying the game 8-8 by the end of the first quarter. The Pioneers pulled in front 12-10 in the second quarter after Haleigh Wallace banked in a jump shot with 4:12 left in the first half.

“We played hard and we really challenged ourselves to stay the course and do what we do and know we can be competitive,” Pioneers coach Klay Anderson said. “I thought we played hard all night long. Our downfall was our inability to score when they went on a couple of runs.”

South Caldwell made sure of that. Watauga did not score the rest of the quarter, while the Spartans scored the next nine points and took a 23-12 halftime lead.

South Caldwell buried the Pioneers in the third quarter by extending its success from the second quarter. South Opened with 11-2 run capped by a 3-point basket by freshman Anna Lee Ballinger to take a 34-14 victory Watauga could never overcome.

It's not like the Pioneers didn't try. On their first possession of the second half, Watauga pulled down five offensive rebounds, but could not make any shots during the possession.

“It killed us,” Anderson said. “We gave up 13 straight points by our count in the end of the second quarter. We got off a couple of good shots in there, but they didn't go. On our first possession of the third quarter, we got five shots on the same trip and could not buy a basket. They were able to score and it puts you in a big hole.”

Hannah Margolis led the Pioneers with 11 points. Savanna Wood scored seven and Wallace added five. Watauga was without Whitney Dunnigan for a second straight game because of a head injury.

Shaina Sams, a four-year varsity player for South Caldwell, led all scorers with 14 points. Amber Gross added 11 points and both Ballinger and Leah Sherrill scored seven.

“You expect that from a senior guard who has been there for four years for you,” Parham said. “She's coming around right now for us.”

 

South Caldwell girls 48, Watauga 29

Watauga (5-15, 3-7)

Wood 3 0-0 7,Wallace 2 0-0 5, Eppley 0 4-9 4, Seamone 1 0-0 2, Margolis 5 1-2 11, Woods 0 0-0 0, Derrick 0 0-0 0, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Makarova 0 0-0 0, Welsh 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 5-12 29.

South Caldwell (12-9, 7-4)

Cannon 0 1-3 1, Sherrill 3 1-2 7, Younce 1 0-0 2, Gross 3 5-7 11, Ballinger 3 0-2 7, Ward 3 0-0 6, Sams 5 3-4 14, Rhyder 0 0-0 0, Potter 0 0-0 0, Everhart 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-18 48.

Watauga          8 4 4 13 — 29

South Caldwell            8 15 13 12 — 48

3-point goals—Watauga 2 (Wood, Wallace), South Caldwell 2 (Ballinger, Sams). Total fouls—Watauga 16, South Caldwell 16. Fouled out—None. Technical fouls—None.