Holiday tourney presents new challenges in Asheboro

Southwestern Randolph’s Sara-Kate Marion, left, and Asheboro’s Jalyia Andrews reach for the ball earlier this season. Both teams will be in the holiday tournament at Asheboro.

ASHEBORO – The defending champions in the SportsTone.net Christmas Invitational will have different challenges if those basketball teams take paths back to titles this week.

Asheboro’s boys and Southwestern Randolph girls will aim to repeat, though the field of teams is different from a season ago.

There are eight-team brackets for both the boys and girls. Games will be held Thursday through Saturday at Asheboro High School.

New entrants are Burlington Williams, Chatham Charter, Lexington (girls) and Thomasville (boys).

The Asheboro boys and Southwestern Randolph girls will open with tournament newcomers.

Asheboro’s boys and Southwestern Randolph’s girls both meet their counterparts from Chatham Central on Thursday.

Also on the first day, Burlington Williams will take on the Asheboro girls, while Burlington Williams faces the Southwestern Randolph boys. Those matchups will be renewals of what were conference clashes in the four-year cycle from 2017-21.

No longer in the tournament are Providence Grove, West Brunswick and North Carolina Leadership Academy.

Other tournaments

Wheatmore teams are set to participate in the Ledford Panther Christmas Classic on Thursday through Saturday.

Providence Grove teams will be in the North Carolina Leadership Academy Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Kernersville.

****  Tournament schedule in Asheboro ****

SportsTone.net** Christmas Invitational**

At Asheboro

Girls

Dec. 26

Trinity vs. Lexington, 10 a.m.

Randleman vs. Eastern Guilford, 1 p.m.

Southwestern Randolph vs. Chatham Charter, 4 p.m.

Burlington Williams vs. Asheboro, 7 p.m.

Dec. 27

Consolation games: 10 a.m., 1 p.m.

Semifinals: 4 p.m., 7 p.m.

Dec. 28

10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m.

Boys

Dec. 26

Trinity vs. Thomasville, 11:30 a.m.

Randleman vs. Eastern Guilford, 2:30 p.m.

Southwestern Randolph vs. Burlington Williams, 5:50 p.m.

Chatham Charter vs. Asheboro, 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 27

Consolation games: 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m.

Semifinals: 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 28

11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m.