Final:South Stokes 71, WS Reagan 67
Reagan -- 10-18-17-22 -- 67 South Stokes -- 26- 9-19-17 -- 71
Reagan (6-4, 1-2) Jalil Rogers 25, KJ Ford 15, Noah Quarless 12, Collins 8, Leonard 5. Corbin 2.
South Stokes (8-1) Nathaniel Sisk 15, Jonah Fie 15, Junior Hairston 14, Isiah Lash 13, Ethan Moran 11, Gallimore 2, Wilmoth 1.
South Stokes raced out to a big early lead, then withstood a furious Reagan rally enroute to a 71-67 win in the semifinals of the WSFCS bracket of the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic Wednesday afternoon at North Forsyth High School.
The Sauras, who won for the eighth time in nine games, missed only three of their first 14 shots & applied heavy pressure to the top-seeded Raiders to build an 18-point lead (28-10) in the opening minute of the second quarter. Reagan spent the next 23 minutes digging out of the early deficit, closing the margin to two (56-54) with five minutes left on a Jack Leonard basket off an offensive rebound.
The winners stretched their lead back to five (65-60) with two minutes remaining but the Raiders’ Noah Quarless hit two free throws to finally tie the score (65-65) with 1:36 left in the game.
With the Sauras plagued with foul trouble, Nathaniel Sisk drove the lane on the following possession and scored on a questionable block/charge call. Sisk made the ensuing free throw to return the lead to South Stokes (68-65).
Freshman KJ Ford cut the deficit to one (68-67) with a basket inside one minute but Sisk scored on a shot from the right block & Junior Hairston added a free throw to give the Sauras their winning margin at the finish.
Reagan’s Jalil Rogers led all scorers with 25 points. Ford added 15 and Quarless contributed 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Leonard added eight rebounds for the Raiders, now 6-4 on the season.
Five players scored in double figures for South Stokes, led by Sisk & Jonah Fie with 15 points each & Hairston with 14. The winner advance to the championship game tomorrow at 3p at North Forsyth. Reagan plays for third place in the WSFCS bracket of the 46th annual Spencer Classic tomorrow at 12 noon at RJ Reynolds High School.
Courtesy of Coach Bill Armour with WS Regan Basketball