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Gastonia, Shelby high school basketball rankings: Crest, Kings Mountain on collision course

joe l hughes ii, gaston gazette
·4 min read

Here’s a look at the high school basketball pecking order in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties going into play Tuesday, Feb. 13, including teams whose stock is surging and those worth keeping an eye on.

Boys basketball

Blue chip stock of the week

Hunter Huss; it was a good week for the Huskies (10-11, 8-4 Big South 3A), who started the week with a solid road win at South Point, followed by wins over West Mecklenburg and Stuart Cramer with an average margin of victory of 28 points.

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Stock to keep an eye on

Shelby; the Golden Lions (14-7, 10-0 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) are a win away from claiming a league championship and preferred seeding in the upcoming NCHSAA 2A West playoffs. Since the start of 2024, Shelby’s only losses have been to Big South 3A’s Ashbrook and Kings Mountain.

This week's rankings

  1. Crest (16-2, 11-1 Big South 3A): The Chargers can clinch their third Big South 3A title in four years with a win Tuesday at North Gaston. Crest also has an eye on a top-four spot in NCHSAA 3A West and the potential for an extended stay at home.

  2. Kings Mountain (17-5, 9-3 Big South 3A): The Mountaineers still hold hope of a Big South 3A title, waiting in the wings should Crest fall at North Gaston on Tuesday. Kings Mountain must handle its business against South Point, first, though.

  3. Ashbrook (18-4, 9-3 Big South 3A): Following losses to Crest and Kings Mountain, the Green Wave rebounded this week by defeating Forestview and North Gaston by double digits.

  4. North Lincoln (17-5, 9-3 Western Foothills 3A): The Knights needed double-overtime to finally rid themselves of St. Stephens before earning a 44-point victory over Foard.

  5. Lincoln Charter (16-8, 10-2 Catawba Shores 1A/2A): Kelan Flowers (16.3 ppg), David Reed IV (13.8 ppg) and Cairo Morales (10.3 ppg) account for 61.3% of scoring for an Eagles roster averaging just shy of 66 points per game.

  6. Piedmont Community Charter (16-4, 7-1 Metro 8 1A): Wins in their last two league contests against Queen’s Grant and Apprentice Academy will earn the Patriots at least a share of the Metro 8 1A title.

  7. Gaston Christian (17-15, 11-3 NCISAA MAC): A 71-61 loss to rival Gaston Day wasn’t the Eagles’ desired result as their pursuit of a NCISAA 3A state title truly sets sail.

  8. Gaston Day (18-12, 8-6 NCISAA MAC): A bounce back week for the Spartans included victories over Metrolina Christian and Gaston Christian by double digits, before falling in overtime at Concord Academy.

Girls basketball

Blue chip stock of the week

Shelby; the Lady Lions earned a hard-fought win over Bessemer City, followed by double-digit wins over Kings Mountain and North Gaston to end the week. A win at Burns on Friday earns Shelby a playoff berth.

Stock to keep an eye on

Forestview; the Jaguars earned a pair of easy wins this past week against Ashbrook and Kings Mountain. Things get a bit tougher this week, however, welcoming Hunter Huss for a game with playoff implications, before traveling to Stuart Cramer for the season finale.

This week's rankings

  1. East Lincoln (21-1, 12-0 Western Foothills 3A): Already with the Western Foothills 3A title in the bag, the Lady Mustangs are fine-tuning ahead of what they hope is another deep playoff run. East Lincoln has won 15 consecutive games.

  2. Stuart Cramer (17-5, 11-1 Big South 3A): A home loss to Crest proved to be a minor stumble in its pursuit of a Big South 3A title, the Storm bouncing back with a 65-56 win at Hunter Huss. It can win the program’s first league title Tuesday against Ashbrook.

  3. Lincoln Charter (16-5, 10-2 Catawba Shores 1A/2A): Following dominant wins over Bradford Prep and Christ the King, the Eagles are on pace to earn a first round home date in the NCHSAA 2A West playoffs.

  4. South Point (14-8, 9-3 Big South 3A): Stumbled Tuesday night in a loss to Hunter Huss, but rebounded nicely with a key road win at Crest. It can clinch a playoff spot with a win Tuesday at Kings Mountain.

  5. North Lincoln (14-8, 6-6 Western Foothills 3A): North Lincoln snapped a two-game skid Friday with a 47-44 win over Foard.

  6. Crest (13-5, 8-4 Big South 3A): The Chargers were unable to build on momentum earned after an upset win over Stuart Cramer, following it up with a 73-62 home loss to South Point.

  7. (tie) Forestview (15-7, 7-5 Big South 3A); Hunter Huss (11-11, 7-5): The crosstown rivals begin the week on equal footing in Big South 3A, as well as the NCHSAA 3A West playoff race. Forestview is ranked 29th, while Huss is on the cutline at No. 31.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia, Shelby basketball rankings: Crest, KM on collision course