Hounds fall to Rams in regional semifinals

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: March 6, 2009

GREENSBORO - After making a habit of running away from teams this season, Statesville bumped into an Asheville Roberson team that could run right with it.

The Rams (26-4) did their best impression of the Greyhounds on Thursday night and knocked Statesville out of the 3A Western Regionals with a 68-45 victory.

Roberson shot 55 percent from the field, pressured the ball and used an early spurt in the first half to take a commanding lead from which the Greyhounds could never recover.

"I tell you what, we ran into a buzz saw tonight," Greyhounds coach Todd Jones said. "I watched tape after tape after tape of this team, and it didn't do them justice. They played very, very well."

Maria Young led the Roberson contingent with a game-high 21 points. She was also the catalyst for a swarming Rams defense that forced 20 turnovers for 20 fast-break points.

The Greyhounds (26-4) led 5-2 just minutes in but quickly found themselves behind. The lead stretched to 38-18 by halftime and Statesville could never regain its footing.

"They got that big lead on us in the first half, and it was just tough to come back from that," Greyhounds junior Janitsha Williams said. "We tried our best, but that first half was just too much."

Williams scored 19 points for Statesville and carried the Hounds through listless stretches in the first half. Keyrra Gillespie ended her stellar career at Statesville with an additional 19 points, 14 of them coming in the second half.

"We were really concerned with Gillespie," Rams coach Tim Epley said, "She's so fast and can penetrate easily. We wanted to watch Williams, too. She has NBA range on her 3-point shot. We played very well, and have been playing very well for about a month."

In addition to its speed, Roberson had plenty of height. The Rams often had the four tallest players on the floor, and when the outside shots finally stopped dropping, Roberson was in position for putbacks in the paint.

"We let them get a lot of layups off rebounds, and also when we tried to press," Gillespie said. "It was just a tough game to try and make a comeback."

 

Charlotte Observer High School Basketball Players Of The Week

Posted: Sunday, Mar. 01, 2009

 

GIRLS: Christal Caldwell, West Charlotte, Janitsha Williams, Statesville and Shannon Smith, Gastonia Forestview: On Thursday and Friday, Caldwell had 60 points and 15 rebounds. Smith had 67 points in those two days, as both players pushed their teams to N.C. 4A and N.C. 3A Western regional appearances. Williams had a career-high 34 Tuesday and 53 points in games Thursday and Friday, sending her team to the 3A regionals.

 

Greyhounds paired with Asheville Roberson in regionals

from staff reports

Published: February 28, 2009

The N.C. High School Athletic Association released pairings Saturday for this week's Western Regionals in Greensboro.

Statesville's girls basketball team will play Asheville T.C. Roberson on Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

The Greyhounds enter with an overall record of 26-3, while Roberson checks in at 25-4.

The winner advances to Saturday's regional final where they will meet either Gastonia Forestview (25-4) or defending state champion Concord (26-4). The regional final is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

 

Hounds back in regionals

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: February 28, 2009

At the end of its second taxing game in as many days, Statesville players somehow found something extra in reserve.

The Greyhounds withstood a ferocious charge down the stretch from Porter Ridge to win Friday's sectional final 60-56 in front of a roaring home crowd.

Janitsha Williams continued her stellar postseason play with 32 points and Statesville recovered late after leading the Pirates (25-4) by 15 points early in the first half.

"When they started to come back, I was just like 'We're not going to lose,' " said Williams, whose voice was hoarse and muted from screaming during both the game and postgame celebration.

Senior Keyrra Gillespie, despite not scoring until the fourth quarter, was dominant again. She finished with 14 assists to go along with six points, which all came in crunch time.

After Porter Ridge missed numerous shots to tie or take the lead late in the fourth, Gillespie grabbed a rebound and was fouled with 10 seconds remaining and Statesville up 58-56. The senior, who was critical of her performance at the stripe after Thursday's game, calmly sank both shots to put Statesville (26-3) up four and effectively seal it.

"We just had to keep our cool," Gillespie said. "I just stepped to the free-throw line and knew it was crunch time. It was time to win."

Gillespie missed a large portion of the second quarter with an injury.

Already nursing an achy knee, Gillespie inadvertently banged knees with a Porter Ridge player. With her out of the lineup, the Pirates, who trailed 25-10 with six minutes left in the first half, closed the gap by pressuring the ball.

They inched closer at the end of the third quarter when Kelly Godbout buried a shot just inside the halfcourt line at the buzzer.

Williams, though, scored two quick buckets in the fourth and Statesville held on down the stretch to earn its second straight berth in the regionals.

Statesville joins Concord, Gastonia Forestview and Asheville Roberson in the Western Regionals. The Greyhounds will play one of those teams Thursday at either 7 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.

 

Hounds turn it up after halftime, cruise in first round

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: February 25, 2009

Janitsha Williams was mulling around the gym shortly after Statesville's victory Tuesday when a Greyhounds fan approached her and asked for an autograph.

Things like that happen when you score 34 points.

Williams was sensational all over the court in scoring her career high, and the Greyhounds survived an early rough stretch to power past Monroe Parkwood 74-52 in the opening round of the 3A playoffs.

Williams buried five 3-pointers for the game and scored 30 points over the final 21 minutes.

"I wasn't really hitting my shots at the beginning of the game," Williams said. "So I just kept shooting. That's the only way to get your rhythm back."

The Greyhounds (24-3) advanced into the second round and will host Southeast Guilford (20-6) on Thursday.

Keyrra Gillespie was Statesville's other double-digit scorer with 12 points, but she missed the majority of the first half after picking up three fouls in the first five minutes. Parkwood took advantage to take a slim lead into the second quarter, but Statesville's overall depth and break-neck pace eventually wore the Rebels down.

"We weren't worried," Williams said. "We can still handle the ball. We were just thinking about the win."
They got it, and Raven Brown's poise was another major factor. With Gillespie out in the first half, Brown took over point guard duties and ran Statesville's offense efficiently.

She was electric on the defensive end, too. Brown attempted to draw 10 charges, and she was credited with five.

"That gets me going," Brown said with a grin. "Drawing those charges is what I do. … But when I was running the point, I had to calm down and keep my cool."

Brown and Gillespie were also able to break Parkwood's pressure throughout the game.

The Rebels stayed in a zone, which opened up the middle. Tamesha Bailey and Bronte Sherrill took advantage by combining for 15 points and 17 rebounds in the paint.

"(Coach Todd) Jones told us no one could match our height or jump with us," Bailey said. "We tried to take advantage of that."

 

Charlotte Observer/High School Basketball Players of the Week

Posted: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009

GIRLS: West Charlotte Christal Caldwell had a brilliant ME-CA 7 4A tournament final, scoring 19 points to go with 14 rebounds and five assists in a win against Vance. She shares the award with Statesville High's Janitsha Williams, who writes a blog at janitshawilliams.com. Williams had 73 points in three conference tournament games, including 21 points and two NBA-range 3-point shots during Friday's championship game

 

Hounds secure second straight NPC tournament title

Tony Bazen

R&L Sports

Published: February 21, 2009

Statesville coach Todd Jones sent a text message Thursday night to all of his players with this simple message: "Let's start our state playoffs (Friday) against East Rowan."

Message received and mission accomplished.

The Greyhounds (23-3) prevailed over the Mustangs 55-45 on Friday night before a packed house at West Iredell to claim their second consecutive North Piedmont 3A tournament championship.

The win, the third over the Mustangs this year, was anything but easy.

"We're going to be ready for them," Mustangs coach Karen Garmon said of the Greyhounds shortly after Thursday's night's upset win over Lake Norman.

She kept her word as the Mustangs put up a valiant fight.

The first half was a tale of two quarters.

Both teams started slowly until Janitsha Williams caught fire. In a two-minute span she drained four 3-pointers. She finished the quarter with 14 points, sparking Statesville to a 16-9 lead.

Garmon made a strategic move at the start of the second quarter that paid huge dividends for East Rowan (18-8).

She switched to a box and one, assigning a defender to guard Williams all over the court. Mackenzie Holshouser stuck to Williams like glue and held her scoreless in the quarter.

On the offensive end the Mustangs exploited the size advantage of Olivia Rankin, who finished with 17 points, to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

The Greyhounds finally caught the Mustangs in the third quarter behind two 3s by Cameron Bradley to take a 36-33 lead into the final quarter.

With the Greyhounds nursing a two-point lead with three minutes to go, Williams reappeared and took over. After being shut out in the second and third quarters, Williams poured in seven points on her way to a game-high 21.

"When the game's on the line, Janitsha wants the ball," Jones said.

Keyrra Gillespie went 13-for-18 from the free-throw line and tied for game-high honors with 21 points.

"2009 NPC Tournament Champs sounds great," Gillespie said. "Now we want to be state champs."

The state playoffs begin next week.

 

 

NPC Tournament: Statesville girls 70, South Rowan 49

By Mike London

mlondon@salisburypost.com

STATESVILLE — Turnovers come in a variety of flavors.

There's blueberry, cherry, apple — and Raider. Thirty-one turnovers short-circuited an attempt by South Rowan's girls to shock the world on Wednesday.

South lost to No. 1 seed Statesville 70-49 in an NPC tournament semifinal but competed well against a relentless bunch of Greyhounds (22-3) that had humbled the Raiders 63-22 and 72-30 earlier.

"They got us by 40 twice," South coach Jim Brooks said. "But people got a look at some guts, some heart and some determination."

Fourth-seeded South trailed 43-37 late in the third quarter and there was still reasonable doubt. But foul trouble hurt, and Statesville's Keyrra Gillespie and Janitsha Williams broke it open.

Williams scored 29 points, mostly on high-wire stickbacks and sneaky steals.

Taylor May shot 7-for-13, pulled down nine rebounds and scored 16 points for South to boost her career total to 980. Molly Garrett had 12 points. Libby Sides played great and had seven.

Garrett fueled an early South surge. South (15-11) led 11-4 before Statesville settled in and turned up the thermostat defensively.

South trailed 34-26 at halftime.

"We knew we had to come out strong because they'd beaten us really pretty bad twice," Garrett said. "We wanted to pull the upset, but Gillespie was good trapping us. She'd just come out of nowhere, and you were double-teamed."

The Clemson-bound Gillespie does that sort of thing. She also broke the state record for assists — she has more than 900 — when she set up Cameron Bradley for a key 3-pointer in the third quarter.

"It seems like yesterday Keyrra was competing against (West Rowan's) RaShonda Mayfield," Statesville coach Todd Jones said. "We've known since her freshman year Keyrra was special, and I'm very happy she got the record

 

Hounds hold off upset-minded Raiders, reach NPC semifinals

By Brian Meadows | Statesville R&L

Published: February 18, 2009

Statesville rebounded from last Wednesday's rare loss by surviving a scare Tuesday from North Iredell in the North Piedmont 3A tournament quarterfinals.

Janitsha Williams couldn't miss from behind the arc during a big fourth-quarter run, and the top-seeded Greyhounds pulled away for a 57-46 win over No. 8 North.

"They were disappointed after the Lake Norman game," Statesville coach Todd Jones said, referring to the 47-44 setback that snapped his team's 19-game winning streak. "I think we should have come out chewing nails and spitting fire. I don't think we did. But, I did see some improvement, particularly in the second half."

Williams poured in 23 points to lead all scorers, and 21 of those came after the Greyhounds went to the locker room at halftime trailing 26-25.

Keyrra Gillespie added 19 points for Statesville (21-3), which advanced to play No. 4 seed South Rowan in today's semifinals at West Iredell. Tip-off is 6:30 p.m.

Gillespie also dished out six assists, raising her career total to 894. The senior needs five to break the state record held by former McDowell star Anna Atkinson.

"We'll make sure she gets it (today)," Williams said. "For sure."

Williams certainly helped Gillespie move closer to that mark at a critical juncture Tuesday.

Statesville used a 16-3 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to open up a 53-39 lead with 4:36 remaining in the contest. Williams buried all three of her 3-point attempts during that stretch — shots that were set up by Gillespie.

"That was good to see," Jones said. "I want to see her get hot."

North coach Tami Ramsey sure didn't. Not with her team poised to spring a monumental upset.

The Raiders, who lost three meetings with Statesville this season by an average of 24 points, led by as many as four in the first half and only trailed by six entering the final period.

"This team believed they could win," Ramsey said. "They really did. It just didn't happen."

Mandeesa Singletery paced North (10-14) with 12 points. Brianna Johnson and Taylor Cook added 11 apiece.

 

Lake Norman hands Statesville a rare conference loss

By Brian Meadows | Statesville R&L

Published: February 12, 2009

Statesville's 19-game winning streak?

Gone.

Its bid for a third straight perfect regular-season in North Piedmont 3A play?

History.

Lake Norman spoiled several things for the Greyhounds in Wednesday night's regular-season finale, including four seniors' farewell.

Lisa Shalvey drained a shot to put Lake Norman ahead for good with 35 seconds left, and the Wildcats survived a back-and-forth affair featuring 17 lead changes to win 47-44.

"It's very sweet, especially after what happened in the Christmas tournament," said Lake Norman coach Dave Walla, whose team suffered a 36-point drubbing at the hands of Statesville in the 2008 R&L Holiday Classic final.

Shalvey finished with 11 points to lead eight Lake Norman scorers. The senior hit the biggest shot of the night after Keyrra Gillespie's old-fashioned three-point play with 51 seconds left gave Statesville a 44-43 advantage.

The Wildcats then got the ball to Shalvey at the free-throw line. Without hesitation, she sank a 15-footer.

"I felt it was going in before it left my hands," Shalvey said.

Statesville (20-3, 17-1 NPC) turned the ball over on its next possession, forcing it to foul.

Jordan Lewis nailed a pair of free throws to push Lake Norman's lead to 47-44 with 13.8 seconds left.

After Janitsha Williams' 3-pointer misfired, the Wildcats had an opportunity to close the door on Statesville.

Lewis went back to the line with 5 seconds left, but missed a pair.

Gillespie boarded the second miss and dashed up court. But she lost her balance near the top of the key, and Statesville was unable to get off a shot before time expired.

"This was sort of about regaining our respect, which we felt we lost after some of our disappointing performances," Walla said.

Marrissa Riley added nine points for Lake Norman (19-4, 16-2 NPC).

Gillespie scored nine of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Statesville coach Todd Jones said Lake Norman "deserved" to win, and "hopefully we'll have a chance to play them again next Friday (in the NPC tournament final)."

Soured by the Wildcats' post-game celebration, Gillespie wouldn't bet on it.

"I don't like the way they jumped in the middle of our court at the end," she said. "I can see them losing."

Greyhounds officially clinch crown

From staff reports

Published: February 10, 2009

Statesville's girls basketball team is the North Piedmont 3A champion once more.

The Greyhounds downed South Rowan 72-30 on Monday to officially clinch first place.

As usual, Keyrra Gillespie led the way.

Gillespie scored 17 points and added 15 assists, 13 rebounds and seven steals in Statesville's rout.

Gillespie is now 13 assists away from breaking the all-time state record.

Mandy Jones led Statesville (20-2 overall, 17-0 NPC) with 22 points. Janitsha Williams added 15 points and Bronte Sherrill added 12.

 

Hounds hammer Falcons, stay perfect in NPC

from staff reports

Published: February 8, 2009

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 67, West Rowan 36

Statesville jumped on West Rowan early Friday and coasted to a 67-36 North Piedmont 3A win.

The Greyhounds (19-2, 16-0 NPC) outscored the Falcons 24-3 in the opening quarter and never looked back.

Janitsha Williams led three Greyhounds in double figures with 15 points. Raven Brown and Bronte Sherrill added 14 and 10 points, respectively.

**************************************************************************

Greyhounds hold off Raiders' rally

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: February 4, 2009

Statesville jumped out to a 16-0 lead over North Iredell in the first quarter Tuesday, and the Greyhounds needed every last one of those points.

The Raiders fought back to make it a game and took the NPC front-runner to task before running out of gas in the fourth period during Statesville's 65-50 victory.

"They were just playing a little timid at first, I think," Raiders coach Tami Ramsey said. "Then I felt like … boom, it hit them. They just had to play."

The Greyhounds, who led 20-5 after the first quarter, had to rely on a back-breaking shot from junior Janitsha Williams to regain control. After the lead was cut 48-43 late in the third, Williams took a pass deep in the corner and buried a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"That was a dagger to the heart right there," Ramsey said.

Keyrra Gillespie started the fourth quarter with a layup, and Williams followed with a coast-to-coast layup to put the Greyhounds (18-2 overall, 15-0 North Piedmont 3A) up 55-43 and provide some breathing room.

Williams and Gillespie both had 18 points as Statesville won its 17th consecutive game.

"We weren't at our greatest, but it was alright," Williams said. "We had to pick it up on defense a little bit."

North's Brianna Johnson led all scorers with 22 points and helped carry the Raiders (7-12, 4-11) back into the game. After being shut out in the first quarter, Johnson exploded for 19 points over the next 15 minutes.

She and Emory Haynes, who finished with 15 points, combined to make their first eight shots of the third quarter.

"After I hit my first 3-pointer of the game, my confidence went up," Johnson said.

Gillespie took over with her defense and playmaking ability down the stretch, helping Statesville gain its composure after the Raiders successfully forced some turnovers.

"We can't shy away from the challenge," Ramsey said. "They have the best point guard in the state, so of course teams don't press them much. I felt like we had to take our chances."

 

Hounds keep rolling

From staff reports

Published: January 31, 2009

Statesville scored 50 points in the first half Friday and cruised to its 16th consecutive victory with a 70-33 decision over Mooresville.

Janitsha Williams led the Greyhounds (17-2 overall, 14-0 North Piedmont 3A) with 23 points.

Keyrra Gillespie added 16 points and Tamesha Bailey scored 11.

 

Hounds retain first-place standing

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: January 28, 2009

There are still a few obstacles in the road, but Statesville's path to an outright North Piedmont 3A championship became much clearer Tuesday night.

The Greyhounds fought off a gutsy effort from East Rowan and rode a second-half surge to a critical 68-52 NPC victory.
Statesville, which picked up its 15th consecutive victory, improved to 16-2 overall and 13-0 in the NPC with five conference games remaining.

"Statesville had great offensive possessions at the end, and we just couldn't retaliate," Mustangs coach Karen Garmon said. "They did a great job."

So did East Rowan early on.

The Mustangs (12-6 overall, 10-3 NPC) led in the first quarter and held it through halftime, meaning the Greyhounds began the second half behind for the first time since Dec. 3.

Statesville didn't panic, though.

The Greyhounds retook the lead midway through the third quarter and went on a 15-5 run over the final five minutes once East Rowan got in foul trouble.

"I felt like when their big post (Olivia Rankin), when she got some fouls they lost confidence in themselves," said Statesville guard Raven Brown, who provided a spark off the bench.

Brown buried a long 3-pointer during the stretch run, and Janitsha Williams scored 18 of her game-high 26 points in the second half.

Williams was responsible for four of Statesville's six 3-pointers and she shot better than 60 percent from the field.

"We didn't get upset or anything at halftime, we just knew we had to come out and play better defense," Williams said. "We always know coming out in the third quarter, that's when we really need to step it up and play."

Keyrra Gillespie finished with 16 points and 11 assists, Bronte Sherrill added 10 points and Tamesha Bailey was big down low with 10 rebounds.

"In the first half, Gillespie didn't really try to do a whole lot," Garmon said. "We tried to cheat out on some of their shooters, and we left the middle open and she took advantage of it. She's capable of doing that. That's why she's going Division I to play basketball."

****************************************

Hitting milestone scoring mark pleases Williams

| Statesville R&L

Published: January 25, 2009

Fittingly, Janitsha Williams reached a career milestone on one of her specialty shots.

The Statesville junior buried a turnaround jumper during Wednesday's 73-27 win over West Iredell, giving her exactly 1,000 career points.

"I knew I was close from the beginning of the season, so I was just waiting for it to happen," Williams said.

After the basket, play paused momentarily while Statesville coaches honored the occasion. They also presented Williams with a commemorative basketball.

It was an impressive accomplishment, one Williams was hoping for but ready to put behind her.

"It was something big because it's kind of hard to get," Williams said. "It was nice to finally get it. At the same time, it's a big relief. It's been something that's been out there all season, so I'm glad I got it."

The middle of January seems to be the time Statesville players set milestones.

Williams' mark came exactly one year and three days after Keyrra Gillespie scored her 1,000th career point.

********************************

Greyhounds girls keep rolling

Published: January 22, 2009

Four players hit double figures for Statesville as the Greyhounds cruised past West Iredell 73-27 on Wednesday.

Keyrra Gillespie led the way with 19 points and 10 steals.

Janitsha Williams added 15 points for Statesville (14-2 overall, 11-1 North Piedmont 3A) while Mandy Jones scored 12 and Raven Brown added 11.

Williams and Bronte Sherrill each pulled down nine rebounds.

Brianna Renwick led the Warriors (9-8 overall, 5-6 NPC) with seven points.

The Greyhounds scored at least 15 points in all four quarters and held West Iredell to seven points or fewer in all quarters.

*********************************************************************

Williams becomes an interior presence for Hounds

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

With her silky smooth jump shot and heady play outside, Janitsha Williams helped out Statesville's perimeter game tremendously last season as a sophomore.

Now she's contributing almost exclusively on the inside.

Williams is Statesville's leading scorer this season while playing post. She is the top rebounder as well.

"We had no intention of putting (Williams) down low, but with injuries to Tamesha Bailey and Simone Parker ... those killed us," Greyhounds coach Todd Jones said. "We talked to her about that, moved her back inside this year, and it's paid off for us. She feels comfortable down there, that's for sure."

*****************************************************

MOORESVILLE - GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 59, Mooresville 27

Keyrra Gillespie reached another milestone Friday as Statesville blew past Mooresville, 59-27.

Gillespie dished out 10 assists, raising her career total past the 800 mark. She now has 807. The senior also scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and made five steals.

Bronte Sherrill paced the Statesville scoring attack with a game-high 20 points. She also pulled down nine rebounds.

Janitsha Williams added 12 points and five steals for the Greyhounds (13-2, 10-0 NPC).

*******************************************

 

KANNAPOLIS - GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 85, Northwest Cabarrus 25

Keyrra Gillespie turned in a dominating performance, nearly achieving a quadruple-double, as Statesville cruised to an 85-25 victory at Northwest Cabarrus on Friday.

Gillespie led all scorers with 24 points and added 12 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals.

Teammate Janitsha Williams had 14 points, eight rebounds and six steals.

Statesville, which led 17-1 at the end of one quarter, improved to 12-2 overall (9-0 North Piedmont 3A).

 

*****************************************************

 

Hounds, Wildcats among top 10 in polls

 

By Brian Meadows | Statesville R&L

Published: January 7, 2009

Two Iredell County high school basketball teams helped fill out the top-10 ranked squads in the latest NCPreps.com media polls.

Lake Norman's boys, who improved to 12-0 with their 97-67 win Tuesday night at East Rowan, are ranked No. 3 in the state among 3A teams. Kinston is No. 1. The defending state champion received 11 of 12 possible first-place votes.

Statesville's girls are ranked No. 8 in 3A. The Greyhounds' 68-28 victory Tuesday night over North Iredell extended their win streak to 10 games without a loss

  ********************************************************

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 68, North Iredell 28

Statesville jumped on North Iredell early Tuesday and never let up en route to an easy 68-28 North Piedmont 3A victory.

Keyrra Gillespie and Bronte Sherrill each scored 13 points for Statesville, which led 36-7 at halftime.

Janitsha Williams and Cameron Bradley contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Statesville (11-2, 8-0 NPC).

Williams and Sherrill combined for 27 rebounds, and Gillespie dished out 10 assists.

Mandessa Singletery's 11 points paced the Raiders.

 **************************************************

 

Williams scores 22; Hounds cruise

 

From staff reports

Mooresville Tribune

Published: January 4, 2009

MT. ULLA - GIRLS BASKETBALL

Statesville 63, West Rowan 32

 Janitsha Williams had another monster game Friday, scoring 22 points and powering Statesville to a 63-32 win over West Rowan.

The Greyhounds led 33-9 at the half.

Keyrra Gillespie added 11 points and the senior also doled out 14 assists.

Brooke Bradley hit double figures for Statesville, too. She finished with 10 points.

Gillespie finished with four steals as well, and Williams had three.

*********************************************************

 

Hounds win record fourth consecutive R&L Classic

 

Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: December 30, 2008

 

Making history never looked so good.

Statesville's girls basketball team became the first program to ever win four consecutive R&L Holiday Classic championships Monday evening by delivering an emphatic 64-28 victory over second-seeded Lake Norman.

Janitsha Williams scored 25 points, and senior Keyrra Gillespie controlled the game on both ends, delivering an MVP performance with 14 points, 10 steals and eight assists as the Greyhounds left no doubt in their quest for a four-peat.

"Being the first team to do that, it obviously means a lot to us and our program," Statesville coach Todd Jones said. "They're all talking about winning five in a row now. We know Lake Norman will be loaded next year, but I think we'll be pretty good, too."

The Wildcats took a 5-1 lead through the middle of the first quarter before the roof caved in.

Statesville amped up the pressure defensively and hit more than 50 percent of its 3-pointers. The Wildcats didn't score more than nine points in any quarter and were outscored 35-14 in the second half.

"It was just one of those nights," Lake Norman coach Dave Walla said. "They couldn't miss, and we couldn't hit anything. We didn't do much right and they did about everything right."

Especially the Gillespie-Williams duo. Used in the post this season, Williams stepped out to drain four 3-pointers and open the floor.

Cameron Bradley and Mandy Jones were also firing on all cylinders, giving Gillespie plenty of shooting on the outside. The senior point guard led Statesville's pressure defense and routinely broke Lake Norman's zone and got into the paint, creating easy shots for her teammates.

"I was surprised by the final," said Gillespie, who won her third tournament MVP award. "I didn't know we were winning by that much. It means a lot to me and my teammates."

Williams buried two consecutive 3s in the first to put the Hounds up 12-5 and start the run. Lake Norman closed the gap slightly before halftime, but Gillespie's 3-pointer at the buzzer was a backbreaker.

"Everything is coming together now," Williams said. "We know what we can do now, and we're not going to let up the rest of the year."

******************************************  

 

Greyhounds earn shot at unique four-peat

 

 

By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: December 28, 2008

Statesville point guard Keyrra Gillespie was forced to the bench late in the third quarter with the Greyhounds up 12 after picking up her fourth foul. Forward Janitsha Williams soon followed after taking an inadvertent shot to the eye.

What could have been a disaster was nothing more than a slight nuisance as the rest of Statesville's players held down the fort with the two stars out of action in Saturday's 65-48 R&L Classic semifinal victory over North Iredell.

"I honestly didn't know Keyrra had four fouls, and that's my fault," Greyhounds coach Todd Jones said. "I was just praying we could take care of the ball, and I thought Raven (Brown) and Mandy (Jones) did a decent job with that."

Williams scored 24 points on the game, and Gillespie added 20 points. Williams also pulled down 13 rebounds to lead Statesville (8-2), which will play rival Lake Norman at 6 p.m. on Monday in the R&L Holiday Classic championship.

The Greyhounds would become the first team to ever win four consecutive titles with a victory.
"I thought North played well," Jones said. "They were ready to play, and we didn't play well. We're going to practice Monday (before the championship). If we don't, Lake Norman will beat us by 40 points."

Raiders guard Mandeesa Singletery continued her outstanding tournament with a team-high 23 points.

She kept the offense moving and held her own when forced to play defense in the post.

"I was proud of my girls," North coach Tami Ramsey said. "We stuck to our gameplan. We were just overmatched on the inside."

Singletery — as well as Karley Harkey and Brianna Johnson — all guarded Williams at one point.

She was a matchup nightmare for the Raiders, who lack height and have just seven players, six of them underclassmen.

"She's tough," Ramsey said. "She can shoot, too, but she didn't have to. She's a tough player to try and match up with."

The Raiders will play West Iredell at 2 p.m. Monday in the third-place game.

Having a day off before the tournament's final game is a benefit for the Raiders, who like to run the ball up the floor throughout the game.

"That's nice," Ramsey said. "We could use a day of rest before that final game, so hopefully we'll come out and play well."

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Hounds roll to sixth straight win

From staff reports

Published: December 20, 2008

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 57, Northwest Cabarrus 30

Bronte Sherrill scored a season-high 15 points Friday as Statesville easily turned back visiting Northwest Cabarrus, 57-30.

Statesville's Janitsha Williams led all scorers with 16 points. Cameron Bradley added 13.

The Greyhounds (7-2, 6-0 North Piedmont 3A), winners of six straight, led by 21 at the half thanks to a 19-4 scoring advantage in the second quarter.

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Hounds thrash NPC co-leading Raiders

From staff reports

Published: December 18, 2008

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Statesville 63, South Rowan 22

South Rowan's tie with Statesville for first place in the North Piedmont 3A was short-lived.

The Greyhounds built a 27-point halftime lead en route to a convincing 63-22 win Tuesday night.

Janitsha Williams scored 20 points to lead Statesville. Keyrra Gillespie added 11.

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By Brad Norman | Statesville R&L

Published: December 14, 2008

Statesville's girls basketball team is a perfect 4-0 in the North Piedmont 3A. A balanced scoring load is part of the reason.

The Greyhounds have had at least three players score in double figures in all four conference wins.

Friday's effort was the latest display. Keyrra Gillespie scored 24 points in a 78-41 win over West Iredell, but Cameron Bradley added 17 while Janitsha Williams and Bronte Sherrill each had 11.

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Greyhounds roll against Carson