For four consecutive seasons early in head coach Crystal Bartlett’s career from 2016 to 2019, her East Burke girls basketball team had posted 2-1 records in the Freedom Christmas Invitational tournament but could never break through to win three times and raise the trophy.
And until the last eight days, it appeared the Lady Cavaliers may never clear that hurdle, as that 2019 season also marked the most recent time they had played the event.
But after a complete rebuild in the COVID-altered 2021 season followed by four seasons in which the program reached new heights under two generational-type talents, the Lady Cavaliers came full circle on Monday to defeat the host Lady Patriots, 39-29, and win the 51st annual Freedom Christmas Invitational.
And there was no doubt what EB’s calling card was in the title contest.
“Our defense. I thought we played great defense,” Bartlett said after EB held Freedom to four points in the first period and five in the second period.
“When we did get beat off the dribble, our girls were doing a good job bringing help and then helping the helper. They’re understanding that concept a little better. And plus, I thought we rebounded really well.”
The contest served as a rematch from nine years ago, the only time in recent memory that EB reached the title game at the tournament, losing to Freedom.
It was the rivals’ third meeting of this year, with EB having lost at Freedom on Dec. 2 but rebounding to win in Icard on Dec. 9. And it also broke the programs’ tie for Christmas titles this decade as EB had won the McDowell tourney in 2022 and 2023 while FHS had won its event in 2021 and 2023.
“It feels so much better (than leaving Freedom after a loss did),” said EB senior forward Belle Gwyn, who scored a team-high 12 points and added eight rebounds. Gwyn averaged 15.7 points over her team’s three wins en route to tournament MVP honors.
“I knew we could’ve beat them the first time here, and I think we got in our heads,” she added. “But we got it back together, worked hard in practice, knew what we wanted, and we got it. … I think everyone came out with intensity and just really wanted to win it. Before the game, everyone was hyped. Everyone wanted that game. It took a group effort to get that win.”
Not only was the win sweet in that it avenged an earlier road loss this season, it also had to mean more to Bartlett since the aforementioned dynamic duo of Braelyn Stilwell and Kara Brinkley — who have been the face of Lady Cavs basketball for most of the decade — are no longer suiting up for EB.
Stilwell graduated in the spring, and Brinkley is sitting out her senior season after suffering a serious knee injury this past summer.
“This is a really young team and a new team,” Bartlett said. “They’ve really worked hard. I’ve thought they’ve continued to get better every game. Our nonconference schedule hasn’t been the easiest, but they’re continuing to grow and starting to learn how to play together. It’s certainly fun to watch.”
EB (8-4) surged to an 11-0 lead over the opening 6 minutes on six points from Gwyn, three from her younger sister, freshman point guard Frankie Gwyn, and two from freshman Sarabeth Bradley.
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Freedom’s Alayhia Bates (4) drives to the basket against East
Burke defenders in this Dec. 2 file photo.
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Afterward, Freedom (5-7) could only get as close as 16-12 and 19-14 behind early in the third quarter on three straight Lady Patriot field goals by reserve post Simone Wright, who finished with a career-high 16 points (14 in the second half) and shared team-high honors with seven rebounds en route to an all-tournament selection.
“(Wright) for Freedom had a really good game,” Bartlett added. “She’s tough to guard. And I think with Freedom, we knew each other so well. But at the same time, the girls fought through not making shots and kept playing, and that’s huge for a young team.”
Bradley (11 rebounds, two steals) and Frankie Gwyn (four rebounds, game-high three assists) added seven points apiece, with Bradley (12.0 ppg in three games) and Addie Brittain (8.7 ppg in three games; game-high four steals in the title game) joining Belle Gwyn on the all-tournament squad.
“I think this is gonna really help us,” Belle Gwyn said. “We have such a young team that it took a while for us to work together, considering it’s all new starters from last year. I think we’ve gotten better in practice each day. It’s obvious that everyone wants to be there and work hard, and we all cheer each other on.”
Kaitlyn Hagmann posted five points, four rebounds, and three steals for Freedom, while Ava Cooke shared team-high honors with Wright at seven rebounds.
Aniah Queen scored just two in the title game but joined Wright on the all-tournament team from Freedom after scoring a game-high and career-high 16 points in her team’s second-round win over Kings Mountain on Dec. 27.
EB won its first two games of the event by margins of 67-63 in overtime over Kings Mountain on Dec. 26 and 59-16 over West Caldwell the following day.
The Lady Cavs rallied from 34-25 down at the half against the Mountaineers, with Brittain scoring 18, Belle Gwyn 17, and Bradley 16 before Belle Gwyn posted 18 and Bradley 13 in the blowout win over West.
Freedom defeated West Caldwell 52-8 to open the event and topped Kings Mountain 69-36 on day two. Hagmann’s 21 points on seven 3-pointers led the way against West before Queen’s effort highlighted five players scoring in double figures against Kings Mountain. The others included Hagmann (14), Alayhia Bates (12), Cynica Caldwell (11), and Cooke (10).
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Freedom’s King Johnson goes to the basket against East Burke in
this Dec. 2 file photo. Johnson averaged 23.0 points in three games
at the recent Freedom Christmas Invitational.
JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Freedom boys settle for 2nd again
The Patriot boys (8-3) fell to back-to-back champion Asheville Christian, 79-75, in Monday’s event finale for a second straight year, settling for second place at their host event for a fourth time in the last five seasons. Freedom most recently won the event in 2019.
Freedom trailed by double digits on three occasions during an opening half in which it never led but rallied to tie things at 46-all on Kobe Johnson’s steal and slam in the third period, which was followed by a Kaden Davis baseline jumper for the lead at 48-46.
The Patriots pulled in front again early in the fourth at 58-56 on four straight King Johnson points, at 60-58 on a Jaden Watkins putback, and at 61-60 on a Kobe Johnson free throw, but never led again over the game’s final 4-plus minutes.
King Johnson (23 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals), Kobe Johnson (19 points, six rebounds), and Watkins (11 points) scored in double figures all three days and were each named to the all-tournament team.
Asheville Christian’s Ian Bailey scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the opening half en route to MVP honors.
Freedom topped West Caldwell to open the event, 72-60, and avenged a road loss to T.C. Roberson, 74-54, in the semifinals. King Johnson scored 25 and 21 points, respectively, in those two contests, with Watkins adding 15 and 16 and Kobe Johnson scoring 14 and 18.
East Burke (1-10) lost on days one and two of the event and did not play in Monday’s final round as no seventh-place game was held this year.
The Cavaliers fell 70-50 to McDowell before blowing a 31-22 lead after three periods to fall to Hickory Grove Christian, 44-40.
Carter Bennett scored 15 points and Rylan Bargsley added 12 against the Titans, and Bennett’s nine points paced EB in round two.
Lady ’Cats tripped in tourney semis
The Draughn girls (8-2) saw their second four-game winning streak of the season come to an end on Tuesday in the semifinals of the 23rd annual Peoples Bank Holiday Clash at West Lincoln, where the Lady Wildcats lost by a 64-40 final at the hands of Bandys.
The victory also gave the Lady Trojans — who moved to 8-2 as well under first-year head coach Lindsey Adams, a 2016 Freedom graduate — their second four-game winning streak of the year. Bandys led 16-9 after the opening quarter, 33-16 at halftime, and 53-32 through three periods en route to a 24-point triumph.
Despite the loss, Draughn received 13 and 11 points, respectively, from senior guards Taylor Holder and Jacey Davis. Mati Kincaid added nine points, while Makenzie Powell finished with six off the bench.
On the other side, Bandys put four players in double figures, led by 23 points from Madison Gault.
The Lady Wildcats previously opened the three-day tournament with a 62-17 win over East Gaston on Monday. The 62 points were a season-high output for Draughn, which got 14 points apiece from Davis and post Kenley Berry as well as from reserve Bailey Winkler to go with nine from Kincaid.
In the boys tournament, Draughn (0-10) lost to North Lincoln by a 105-43 score on Monday before East Gaston handed the Wildcats a 75-52 defeat in a consolation bracket game on Tuesday.
Draughn sophomore guard Cayden Lewis led all players in scoring in both games, finishing with 31 points on Monday before adding 22 points on Tuesday. Hunter Ellis chipped in six points against North Lincoln, while Titus Dodd scored nine points against East Gaston to go with seven from Noah Chrisco.
The latter contest was tied at 20-all at the end of a first quarter that saw Lewis score 14 points — including 12 consecutive Draughn points to give the Wildcats an early 14-9 advantage — before the Warriors rallied for a 38-34 halftime lead and a 61-44 advantage entering the final period on their way to a 23-point victory.
Patton blows past Polk late for 7th win
Patton was not in holiday tournament action this week, playing its lone game over the break on Tuesday afternoon at nonconference foe Polk County.
The Panther boys (7-4) used a 13-0 scoring run in the third period to take control, blowing open a one-point game midway through the quarter to lead by double digits the rest of the way in a 78-62 triumph.
Patton trailed as much as 10-3 early and was still behind 24-18 before surging to a 31-30 lead following a first half that saw four ties and five lead changes.
Ahead 39-38, Orlando Norman found Nathan Waters for his third 3-pointer of the contest before Laine Barrier scored four straight to make it 46-38. Waters then found Brady Davis and Landry Duvall with long passes for transition layups and a 50-38 lead before a pair of Kyle Taylor free throws capped Patton’s extended, game-changing scoring run.
The senior left-hander Waters supplied 19 points and game-highs of 12 rebounds and eight assists, while Norman poured in a game-high 23 points with five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Taylor added 14 points and five rebounds, Barrier had nine points and eight rebounds, Duvall had seven points and six rebounds, and Karson Kress led PHS with five steals and two blocks.
Patton’s girls dropped the varsity opener in Columbus, 48-15, slipping to 3-8 overall with their fifth consecutive loss.
Patton led 1-0 on a Leah Clark free throw before a 13-0 Polk County scoring run. Emma Rolland and Clark added field goals for the Lady Panthers to climb back within 13-6 before Wolverines standout Bailey Staton went on a personal 16-0 scoring run spanning the halves to put the game away.
Polk called timeout up 39-9 early in the fourth quarter as Staton’s 20th point of the game pushed her into the top spot in school history with 1,638 career points. She finished with 25 points, later canning a 3 to usher in the mercy-rule running clock with Polk ahead 48-11 with 3:35 left.
No other player hit double figures in the game. Patton was led by Clark’s six points and 11 rebounds, while Rolland scored three and tacked on five rebounds.
Milan Pitt scored four points for Patton, leading scorer Mia Chapman grabbed seven rebounds and added a team-best two steals but was held scoreless, and Melina Bernabe led the guests with two assists.
