Gastonia, Shelby high school basketball rankings: Shelby boys, South Point girls surging

Joe L Hughes II, Gaston Gazette

Here’s a look at the high school basketball pecking order for Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties going into play Wednesday, Jan. 17, including teams whose stock is surging and those worth keeping an eye on in the coming days and weeks.

Boys basketball

Blue chip stock of the week

Shelby; ahead of Wednesday’s nonconference matchup with Ashbrook, the Golden Lions picked up their sixth win in a row with a 71-59 victory over East Gaston. During its winning streak, Shelby’s average margin of victory is just short of 19 points per game, joining Burns as one in a pair of undefeated teams in Southern Piedmont 1A/2A.

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Stock worth watching

South Point; the Red Raiders’ pursuit of a repeat Big South 3A title is fading out of view after losses to Hunter Huss and Crest dropped them to 7-7 overall, 2-3 in league play. Their recent slide makes Friday’s clash with Kings Mountain of the utmost importance.

This week's rankings

  1. North Lincoln (12-3, 4-1 Western Foothills 3A): Three players are scoring in double figures for the Knights, who are winning by an average of 18.9 points per game.

  2. Crest (10-1, 5-0 Big South 3A): The Chargers passed their toughest road test to date Tuesday night, outlasting South Point for a 63-57 win.

  3. Ashbrook (12-2, 4-1 Big South 3A): The Green Wave continues to roll along, picking up a hard-fought win over Forestview before Tuesday’s 23-point rout of North Gaston.

  4. Kings Mountain (10-3, 4-1 Big South 3A): Kings Mountain has won its last three games by an average margin of 30 points.

  5. Lincolnton (13-2, 4-1 Catawba Valley 2A): The Wolves impressed last week, picking up double-digit wins over Catawba Valley 2A foes Bandys and West Caldwell.

  6. Gaston Day (13-8, 5-3 NCISAA Metrolina): Gaston Day picked up the biggest win of coach Shawn Coulter’s short time on the job, defeating a solid Northside Christian team Tuesday night.

  7. Gaston Christian (12-12, 6-2 NCISAA Metrolina): Senior center Makoi Mabor Marier is averaging a double-double with 17.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

  8. Piedmont Community Charter (12-3, 4-0 Metro 8 1A): Three players are scoring in double figures for the Patriots, who are riding a nine-game win streak.

Girls basketball

Blue chip stock of the week

South Point; the Lady Raiders have impressed over the past 10 days, playing Big South 3A leader Stuart Cramer tough before posting double-digit victories over Hunter Huss and Crest. A game behind the rival Storm in the conference, it’s fair to say South Point is in play for a potential Big South 3A title.

Stock worth watching

North Lincoln; the Lady Knights have lost four of their last five games, including consecutive losses at the hands of St. Stephens and Foard. Scoring has been at a premium of late, with North Lincoln failing to reach the 60-point threshold since the start of a new year.

This week's rankings

  1. East Lincoln (13-1, 4-0 Western Foothills 3A): The Lady Mustangs have allowed 50 points to only four opponents thus far.

  2. Stuart Cramer (11-4, 5-0 Big South 3A): The Storm passed their most significant tests to date in Big South 3A, sweeping South Point, Crest and Huss in consecutive games.

  3. Lincoln Charter (10-4, 4-1 Catawba Shores 1A/2A): Since a mid-December loss to Community School of Davidson, Lincoln Charter has won six in a row.

  4. South Point (9-6, 4-1 Big South 3A): The Lady Raiders have been stout on the defensive end of the floor, with opponents averaging only 47.2 points per game.

  5. North Lincoln (10-5, 2-3 Western Foothills 3A): After losses in three of their last four league matchups, the Lady Knights must pick up the pace or lose sight of league leader East Lincoln.

  6. Hunter Huss (7-8, 3-2 Big South 3A): Consecutive losses to South Point and Stuart Cramer have the Huskies needing help in their bid for a repeat Big South 3A championship.

  7. Crest (7-4, 2-3 Big South 3A): The Chargers have taken care of business against lesser opponents, but have lost three of five to teams with a winning record.

  8. Forestview (11-4, 3-2 Big South 3A): The Jaguars take a four-game win streak into an upcoming gauntlet including Hunter Huss, Stuart Cramer, Crest and South Point.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NC high school basketball: Gastonia, Shelby rankings (Jan. 17, 2024)

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