Prep boys: Blue Comets take momentum to league tourney

Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback had another big week on offense heading into the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament. (Randolph Record file photo)

ASHEBORO – Asheboro’s boys’ basketball team carries a five-game winning streak into the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament.

And the Blue Comets won’t have to leave home this week because the pre-determined site for semifinals and finals is Asheboro’s gym.

Asheboro (20-3) had one of two byes to the semifinals. The Blue Comets play the winner between sixth-seeded Montgomery Central and third-seeded North Davidson at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The final is set for the same time Friday night.

Central Davidson is the top seed, handing Asheboro five- and three-point losses in the regular season.

Last week, Jerquarius Stanback scored 30 points in both games for Asheboro.

The Blue Comets drubbed visiting Ledford 86-40 with Camden Walker chipping in with 25 points. Then Friday night, Asheboro won 66-60 at North Davidson with Elijah Woodle next in scoring with 13 points.

The game vs. North Davidson was called off with 1:33 remaining after an on-court fight that included spectators coming out of the stands.

Piedmont Athletic Conference

Randleman is the site for Friday night’s title game in the PAC Tournament.

Randleman was the regular-season champion, but its bid for an unbeaten league mark was dashed in its lone game last week. Trinity defeated the host Tigers 56-52.

Dominic Payne’s 26 points and Jacob Hodges’ 13 points paced the Bulldogs. Greg Price scored 21 points for Randleman.

Trinity followed that upset by avenging a loss to Eastern Randolph, winning 79-57 at home as Payne poured in 31 points and Brandon Campbell had 19 points. That outcome allowed the Bulldogs to tie Eastern Randolph for second place and take the No. 2 seed for the league tournament.

Trinity opened play this week in the PAC Tournament vs. Wheatmore, so there was a possibility of a rematch with Eastern Randolph in Wednesday’s semifinals, which also have been designated for Randleman’s gym.

** Eastern Randolph, the defending regular-season and tournament champion, opened last week by defeating visiting Providence Grove 78-62. The Wildcats begin tournament play against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy.

** Southwestern Randolph won its final two regular-season games, with its lone game last week a 55-38 victory at Uwharrie Charter Academy. Marcus Robertson poured in 24 points for the fourth-place Cougars, who begin this week by facing fifth-place Providence Grove.

** Last-place Wheatmore suffered a pair of one-point defeats last week.

UCA won a 53-52 road game against Wheatmore despite Parker Kines’ 27 points and Robert Nyamongo’s 12 points and nine rebounds.

Providence Grove rode 23 points from Brady Collins to win 63-62 at Wheatmore last Thursday night. Kines had 17 points.