APEX -- A stingy defense and a stomach virus weren't enough to keep Apex's T.J. Evans down.
The sophomore finished with 27 points - including 19 in the second half - to lead the Cougars over Durham Hillside 69-62 in the second round of N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A basketball playoffs Wednesday night.
"He had a stomach bug. He was sick all day," Apex coach David Neal said of Evans.
Evans didn't show any signs of sickness as he knifed through defenders for a score or spotted up from beyond the arc to drain 3-pointers throughout an impressive second half.
"T.J. took the game over," Neal said.
"My teammates gave me the opportunities," Evans said. "I was able to get it going and keep it going."
Dyron Jones almost matched Evans shot for shot, keeping the Hornets in a tightly contested game. He finished with 22 points, 14 coming in the second half. Jones' shooting and Hillside's defense kept Apex from breaking away.
"He was tough," Neal said of Jones.
Both teams were tough at the start, setting a rapid pace. Apex led 17-14 after the first quarter and the lead seesawed with Apex eventually up 33-30 at intermission.
Hillside (18-7) was able to jump ahead early in the third with a 36-34 lead. But Apex (25-3) went on a 7-0 run to give the Cougars some breathing room, built a 48-40 late in the period.
The Hornets closed the gap to 52-50 on a Jones jumper with 5:33 left in the game. But Evans answered with a 3-pointer for a 55-50 lead.
With 2:40 left Evans hit another 3-pointer, but Jones answered with a layup to close it to 62-57.
Apex slowed the offense, going into a stall, and forced Hillside to foul. Apex hit all four of its foul shots in the fourth quarter.
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The Holly Springs High girls softball team and the Middle Creek baseball team will begin best-of-three series on Friday in the N.C. High School Athletic Association championships. 
Nearby 2A prep softball rivals North Johnston and Wilson Beddingfield played the ultimate grudge match Saturday afternoon, double-time style. 
Holly Springs seniors Jenna Firestein and Kristen Krebs knew Saturday’s contest against Fayetteville Jack Britt would be their final home game as members of the Golden Hawks softball team. 
Green Hope’s perfect season is snatched away by Charlotte Hough in the final 12 minutes of the state final at N.C. State’s Dail Soccer Field in a 2-1 finish. 
The Holly Springs Golden Hawks softball team has had an exciting past week of playing close games. On Friday, however, the Hawks fourth close game in a week ended in a 3-2 loss to Britt, as the Buccaneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score and then won in the eighth to even the series at one game apiece. 
The Green Hope High girls soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the country, but won’t reach its goal unless it beats Hough in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A championships on Saturday.
Follow the game on our Twitter account, @prepsnow or get a Twitter feed at our high school blog, Preps Now. 
