Daily Roundup: December 23, 2021

December 23, 2021, 10:45 pm | by Tim Hower

BOYS BASKETBALL

No. 2 Hoggard 57, New Bern 54

Holiday in the Pines at Pinecrest

Shane Hawkins made a pair of free throws midway through the third quarter to spark a 9-1 run that put the Vikings on top for good.

The run ended with a Parker Crittenden 3-pointer that increased the advantage to 40-32.

New Bern closed the deficit to one point on three different occasions in the fourth quarter, but was never able to even the score.

Hoggard improved to 8-1, which is its best start since the 2010-11 season. That team finished 18-8 and advanced to the second round of the 4A playoffs.

Senior Alonzo Dyson scored 15 points, while Hoku Fisher added 13 and Hawkins finished with nine. Dyson and Crittenden both connected on a pair of 3-pointers.

The Vikings went 12 of 13 from the free throw line. They are back in action at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 against Northern Guilford in the inaugural Hoggard Holiday Classic.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Rolesville 71, No. 3 New Hanover 48

Fifth-place game Lady Knights Holiday Invitational at Knightdale

The Wildcats were outscored 40-23 in the second half to suffer their second loss in the three-day event.

Senior Andrehya Shuford was named to the All-Tournament team.

No individual stats for New Hanover (5-2) were provided.

WRESTLING

Sgt. Mark Adams Holiday Classic at Cary

A total of 21 wrestlers from Ashley and Laney finished in the top six and both teams placed in the top five in the team standings.

The Buccaneers finished with five champions en route to a 271.5 points to claim another tournament title. Runner-up West Lincoln scored 176, while the Screaming Eagles finished fifth with 110 points.

Laney senior Mark Samuel (21-0) picked up his 100th consecutive victory with a first period pin over Wakefield’s Emmit Holland in the semifinals. Samuel went on to claim the title at 126 pounds with a 17-2 tech fall against Cael Bergquist of Heritage.

Teammates Noah Thomas (145), Alex Hopper (170), Devon Bell (195) and Trystan Richardson (220) were the other area champions.

Thomas (25-2) reached the finals with back-to-back pins. He then won the title with a 14-5 major decision over Hoke County’s David Coptsias.

Hopper (26-0) recorded three first period pins in another dominant tournament performance to remain unbeaten. He needed only 1:34 to finish off Sam Grena of Cary in the finals. Hopper was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Bell’s (22-0) run to the title featured four first period pins, including one in 1:36 against Lumberton’s Quintez Shipman in the championship bout.

After registering back-to-back pins, Richardson (24-5) reached the finals with a 7-0 decision. In the title match, he earned a 7-3 decision over Hoke County’s Geromino Oxendine.

The Buccaneers also got second-place finishes from Jayden Harrison (23-3) at 132, Owen Harshbarger (25-4) at 160 and Corey Pollock (24-3) at 285.

Tristan Cotto (third at 152), Charlie Bishop (third at 182), Ayden Arrington (sixth at 106), Robert Tann (sixth at 113) and Tyler Buonocore (sixth at 138) also placed.

Ashley’s lone finalist was Noah Piper (9-6), who had a third period pin in the quarterfinals and a 10-2 major decision in the semifinals.

Keegan Herbst (fourth at 145), Vinny Evers (fifth at 132), Blake Taylor (fifth at 138), Chris Heppner (sixth at 126), Ryder Mortensen (sixth at 152), Matt Clewell (sixth at 160) and Ethan Files (sixth at 182) were the other place winners for the Screaming Eagles.