Gastonia, Shelby high school basketball rankings: Ashbrook, Kings Mountain boys surging

High school basketball in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties is in “go-mode” with area teams rounding into form as they prepare for the all-important conference portion of their respective schedules.

Here’s a look at the tri-county pecking order following play Dec. 15, including teams whose stock is surging, worth keeping an eye on and those worth buying despite recent missteps.

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Boys basketball

1. Gaston Christian (8-5, 4-0 NCISAA Metrolina Athletic): The Eagles went into a Saturday matchup with unbeaten Weddington on a six-game win streak, its average margin of victory was 18.3 points per game.

2. Ashbrook (7-0, 1-0 Big South 3A): Following a one-point win over East Lincoln, the Green Wave opened Big South 3A competition with an emphatic 73-59 win at South Point.

3. Kings Mountain (4-1, 1-0 Big South 3A): A loss last Saturday to East Lincoln looks like an anomaly following a 15-point win at Shelby and a 37-point trouncing of Stuart Cramer.

4. Gaston Day (9-5, 3-2 NCISAA Metrolina Athletic): After a 12-point loss to Concord Academy earlier in the week, the Spartans rebounded with an 89-61 victory over Westchester Country Day.

5. Lincolnton (7-0, 1-0 Catawba Valley 2A): Aside from a three-point win to start the season against Statesville, the Wolves haven’t won a game by less than 10 points.

6. North Lincoln (6-2, 1-0 Western Foothills 3A): The Knights averaged 93 points in wins over South Iredell and Statesville last week, those wins coming by 28.5 points per game.

7. Shelby (2-1): The Golden Lions’ lone fixture this week saw it on the wrong end of a 65-50 result to Kings Mountain.

8. Crest (1-1, 1-0 Big South 3A): D’Various Surratt, A.J. Adams, Cal Pass Jr., King Rhodes and Lyrik Pettis were among those to score in double figures for Crest in an 81-64 win over Forestview.

Blue chip stock of the week

North Lincoln; its losses have come to a pair of unbeaten teams in Ashbrook and Lake Norman. Kellen Karr averaged 31 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists last week, which included him earning a triple-double at South Iredell.

Stock worth watching

Kings Mountain; with unbeaten Ashbrook visiting its home floor ahead of the holiday break, the Mountaineers can make an early statement to the rest of Big South 3A.

Buy the dip

South Point; the Red Raiders have lost five of their past six games. However, can a Dec. 19 matchup with Forestview change the team’s trajectory?

Girls basketball

1. East Lincoln (6-1): A loss to Hibriten dealt the Lady Mustangs their first defeat during the regular season since a Dec. 2021 setback to Cox Mill during the Mustang Jam tournament.

2. Crest (2-0, 1-0 Big South 3A): Following 15-point wins over Shelby and Forestview to start the season, business picks up Tuesday with a visit from Hunter Huss.

3. Lincoln Charter (5-4, 2-1 Catawba Shores 1A/2A): A loss to Community School of Davidson ended the Eagles’ 23-game win streak against Catawba Shores 2A opponents.

4. North Lincoln (7-1, 1-0 Western Foothills 3A): The Knights have won three in a row since a Dec. 6 loss to Lincoln Charter, including a 56-8 win at Statesville to start league play.

5. Stuart Cramer (4-4, 1-0 Big South 3A): Hadley Womack led the Storm in scoring this past week, averaging 26.5 points per game. She hit 12 3-pointers in wins over South Iredell and Kings Mountain.

6. Hunter Huss (2-2, 1-0 Big South 3A): Following losses to Hickory and Rock Hill (South Carolina), the Huskies rebounded with a 60-10 win over North Gaston.

7. Highland Tech (8-1): The Rams’ eight wins this season already surpass their win total during the 2022-23 campaign. Addie McCraw has seven double-doubles in nine games.

8. Forestview (6-2, 0-1 Big South 3A): The Jaguars saw their three-game win streak end last Friday in a 63-48 loss at Crest.

Blue chip stock of the week

Stuart Cramer; the Storm earned a hard-fought win over South Iredell in overtime, following it with a rout of Kings Mountain to end the week.

Stock worth watching

East Lincoln; following a loss to Hibriten, how does a young Lady Mustang team respond on the road in its conference opener at Hickory?

Buy the dip

Winner of South Point-Forestview; both are pursuing a spot in the top half of Big South 3A. The winner of Tuesday’s game will go a long way toward doing so.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NC high school basketball: Gastonia, Shelby rankings (Dec. 18, 2023)