CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Cox Mill held off Eastern Guilford 70-66 in a hard-fought battle that saw the Chargers never trail in the game on their way to their first State Championship in school history.
Chargers sophomore guard, Wendell Moore Jr. was dynamic with 29 points and 12 rebounds. He also had a trio of assists and blocks on the night on his way to being named the Charlie Adams Most Valuable Player.
The only other Cox Mill player in double-figures was Caleb Stone-Carrawell who scored 13 with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks. Stone-Carrawell was tapped as the Chargers Most Outstanding Player of the game.
Cox Mill never trailed in the game, but that doesn’t mean that Eastern Guilford didn’t keep it interesting. Despite running out to a 13-point lead with 6:35 to play, their largest of the game, the Chargers had to hang on as Eastern Guilford trimmed that lead down to a three-point advantage with 38 seconds to play when Jaylen Alston sunk one of his two free throws to make it a one-possession game.
Alston finished the game with 25 points and five rebounds as he was named the Most Outstanding Player for Eastern Guilford. Montez Venable was also in double-figures with 13 points and three steals while Nic Cheeley knocked in 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Cox Mill dominated the game on the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats by a 40-23 margin, but the Chargers couldn’t pull away as they turned the ball over 24 times. Conversely, Eastern Guilford took care of the ball, only turning it over 12 times.
Eastern Guilford finished the year 29-4, co-champions of the Mid-State 3A Conference with Eastern Alamance at 14-2 on the season. The Wildcats won the Eastern Regional for the first time in school history, making their first appearance in a State Championship game.
Cox Mill finished the year 27-6 overall, champions of the South Piedmont 3A Conference where they finished with a 16-2 record in the league. The Chargers claimed their first Western Regional title in school history, making their first appearance in an NCHSAA State Title game.
