The Swish: Former basketball players welcomed back for coach Sherry Norris’ 40th year
Friday will be the final Chapel Hill girls basketball home game in coach Sherry Norris’ 40th season leading the Tigers. The school is inviting all of Norris’ former basketball and volleyball players to the 7 p.m. game against Cedar Ridge, free with refreshments afterward.
Norris has won two N.C. High School Athletic Association championships in girls basketball and has 593 wins. She retired from volleyball, where she has a state-record 739 wins, after the 2013 season.
Nothing but net
Apex’s Denzel Jacobson isn’t normally a starter for the Cougars. When he started on Friday at Holly Springs, he was quickly taken out after a few turnovers and a defensive lapse.
He more than made up for it after re-entering the game.
Jacobson became the third NCHSAA player to make all of his 3-point attempts while taking eight or more shots behind the arc. Jacobson was 8-of-8 from 3 for 24 points in an 81-58 win.
“He caught fire,” Apex coach David Neal said.
The previous two players were Purnell Swett’s Josh Brooks (also 8-of-8) and the state’s all-time leading scorer JamesOn Curry (9-of-9 for Eastern Alamance).
Record in danger
Hillside’s “Pony Express” offense that averaged 105 points per game in the 1965-66 season may have one of its records in jeopardy.
Richmond County has scored more than 100 points in 13 games. Hillside’s state record is 14.
Hillside’s numbers went largely unnoticed at the time in the N.C. High School Athletic Conference, the association for black high schools prior to integration, but the Pony Express’ records were later compiled and recognized by the NCHSAA.
The Starting 5
Five standouts from the past week.
Girls
Lauren Cates, Orange: Came off the bench to score 30 points (7-of-9 from 3) in a 61-49 win at Northwood on Saturday.
Nyjanique Langley, North Pitt: Scored 37 points in a 57-53 win over rival Farmville Central.
Jada Peebles, Wakefield: Scored 23 in a 65-24 win over Sanderson on Friday.
Levossie Taylor, North Johnston: Scored 26 points in a 47-46 win over Washington on Friday.
Kiondra Webb, Neuse Charter: Notched her second triple-double of the year: 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 steals in a 53-5 win over North Duplin.
Boys
Jayden Gardner, Heritage: Scored 27 points to go with 18 rebounds in a 66-58 win over Leesville Road on Friday.
Tyler Maye, Farmville Central: Scored 43 points in a 93-90 win over North Pitt on Friday.
Devonte’ Pettaway, North Pitt: Scored 39 points in a 93-90 loss to Farmville Central on Friday.
Tyler Wilson, Wakefield: Scored 27 points in a 75-70 win against Sanderson.
Coby White, Greenfield: The UNC recruit scored 36 in a 64-61 loss to Wayne Country Day on Friday.
By the numbers
32: Fourth-quarter points by Garner to pull out a 67-65 win against Shiloh (Ga.) on Saturday in the Peachtree Classic. Garner was down 35-18 at halftime and 39-26 halfway through the third quarter.
42-0: Athens Drive’s girls went on a 42-0 run in a dominating 49-8 win against Middle Creek on Friday.
497: Garner boys basketball coach Eddie Gray is sitting on 497 wins entering the week. Should the Trojans top East Wake on Tuesday and West Johnston on Wednesday, he can reach the 500-win mark in his career on Friday “at home” against Harnett Central. Garner is housed at South Garner while the old campus is being renovated.
1,000: East Chapel Hill’s T.J. Johnson became the second girls’ player in school history to top the 1,000-point mark for her career, scoring 16 in a 54-22 loss to Hillside on Friday.
Top games
Game times vary, usually 5:30 and 7 p.m. for varsity doubleheaders or 6 and 8 p.m. for JV/varsity quads. When the boys and girls play at separate sites, the varsity game times are either 6:30 or 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Fuquay-Varina at Holly Springs; Cardinal Gibbons at Riverside; Cary at Middle Creek; Northern Durham at Hillside; Millbrook at Wake Forest; East Chapel Hill at Jordan; Granville Central at Oxford Prep; Franklinotn at Bunn; Knightdale at Rolesville; Beddingfield at Farmville Central; Apex at Apex Friendship; Panther Creek at Athens Drive (girls only); Athens Drive at Panther Creek (boys only); Hunt at Fike; Rocky Mount at Northern Nash.
Wednesday: Heritage at Wakefield; Jordan at Orange; Chatham Central at Jordan-Matthews; Millbrook at Leesville Road; Louisburg at Franklin Academy; Lee County at Southern Lee; Warren County at South Granville; North Johnston at Beddingfield.
Thursday: Millbrook at Broughton; Riverside at Hillside; Union Pines at North Moore; Eastern Wayne at Southern Wayne.
Ty Johnson, Gabe Cornwall, Randy Jones, Alex Bass and Mike Potter contributed.
This story was originally published January 23, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "The Swish: Former basketball players welcomed back for coach Sherry Norris’ 40th year."