Placing five players
in double figures,
league-leading Chatham
Central led from start
to finish and held off
every challenge by a
resilient Clover Garden
team en route to posting
a 66-59 Central Tar
Heel 1A Conference
triumph Friday evening
in the first-ever meeting
between the two schools
in Gerald L. Binkley
Gymnasium.
The victory lifted
the Lady Bears to 10-2
overall and 5-0 in the
conference, while the
Lady Grizzlies fell to
11-7 for the season and
3-2 against league rivals.
Abby Elkins and
Mary Grace Murchison
registered 14 points each
for Chatham Central,
while Maddy Elkins and
Cami Hughes chipped
in 12 apiece and Lauren
Oldham added 10.
The Lady Bears connected
on 48% (28-of-58) of
their field goal attempts
while outrebounding the
visitors from Burlington
36-30.
Jaclyn Faucette fired
in five three-pointers and
led Clover Garden with
25 points while Makayla
Brown collected a
double-double with 10
points and 14 boards as
the Lady Grizzlies shot
43% (26-of-60) from the
floor. Both teams turned
the ball over 15 times.
Chatham Central
bolted to a 6-0 advantage
in the first three minutes
of play and behind three
Abby Elkins baskets
expanded its lead to
16-8 with 1:05 to go in
the initial period before
Faucette’s lane jumper
and three-pointer from
the right wing over the
final 29 seconds of the
stanza pulled Clover
Garden within three after
one quarter.
Following an Abby
Elkins jumper off the
right baseline with 5:45
remaining in the second
frame that allowed the
Lady Bears to increase
their advantage to 26-
17, Faucette and Brown
combined for all but two
points in a 14-6 Lady
Grizzlies’ burst that closed
the margin to 32-31 with
1:20 left until halftime.
But a Murchison trey
coupled with Maddy
Elkins’ jumper off the
right baseline and Lauren
Oldham’s layup offset an
Erica Burgess turnaround
bucket in the lane as
Chatham Central eased
out to a six-point lead at
intermission.
After Clover Garden
crept within two twice in
the first three minutes of
the third period, Murchison’s
trey from the left
wing and fast break layup
triggered an 11-4 Lady
Bears’ run that put them
ahead 52-43 with 2:33 to
go in the stanza.
But once again Faucette
stepped up big with a
three-pointer from the left
wing and drive from the
left side over the last two
minutes of the quarter as
the Lady Grizzlies cut the
difference to four entering
the final eight minutes.
Following an exchange
of baskets to begin the
fourth period, Maddy
Elkins and Hughes combined
for all the points in
an 8-0 Chatham Central
spurt that stretched the
Lady Bears’ advantage
to 62-50 with 3:53 to
play and Clover Garden
couldn’t edge any closer
than seven in the time
remaining.
CG 13 20 15 11 – 59
CC 16 23 13 14 – 66
Clover Garden (11-7, 3-2) – Brown
4 2-2 10 Stroud 0 0-0 0 Roberts 4
0-2 8 Faucette 10 0-0 25 Hackney
4 0-2 8 Hobbs 0 0-0 0 Burgess 4
0-0 8 Harrelson 0 0-0 0. Totals 26
2-6 59.
Chatham Central (10-2, 5-0) –
MElkins 6 0-0 12 THughes 0 0-0
0 AElkins 7 0-0 14 CHughes 5 2-2
12 Murchison 3 6-6 14 Collins 2
0-0 4 Oldham 5 0-0 10 Phillips 0
0-0 0 Hudson 0 0-0 0. Totals 28
8-8 66.
Halftime-Chatham Central, 39-33.
Three-point goals-Clover Garden
5-23 (Faucette 5-16, Stroud 0-2,
Roberts 0-2, Burgess 0-3); Chatham
Central 2-4 (Murchison 2-4).
Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Clover
Garden 30 (Brown 14); Chatham
Central 36 (CHughes, MElkins 8).
Turnovers-Clover Garden 15; Chatham
Central 15. Total fouls-Clover
Garden 10; Chatham Central 8.