Prep boys: Patriots cruise through league until tourney final

Providence Grove’s boys’ basketball team went unbeaten in the Central Carolina 3A Conference regular season but then lost in the conference tournament final by 60-45 to second-seeded Thomasville on Friday night at Wheatmore.

Will Dabbs had 15 points for Providence Grove.

In the semifinals, Providence Grove won 56-39 at home vs. fourth-seeded West Davidson with Dabbs scoring 17 points.

Third-seeded Wheatmore fell 50-37 at Thomasville despite Collin Dodd’s 13 points.

Regular-season play rapped up earlier in the week, with Providence Grove winning 69-51 at East Davidson, Wheatmore prevailing 43-40 at West Davidson, and Thomasville topping host Trinity 52-39.

Also, Dabbs had 22 points and Andrew Thomas posted 18 points in Providence Grove’s 69-36 road romp past Trinity, while Wheatmore’s 74-56 triumph against visiting East Davidson came with 25 points from Avery Ivey.

Four Rivers Conference

The one-game tournament consisted of host and top-seeded Northwood defeating Uwharrie Charter Academy 78-60 on Friday night in Pittsboro.

Justyce Lawson’s 17 points and Jaxon Mabe’s 15 points were tops for UCA.

In regular-season play earlier in the week, UCA blew past host North Moore 87-28 with Lawson and Mabe each pouring in 25 points.

Mabe scored 29 points when UCA drubbed visiting Eastern Randolph 74-44. Tyler Gee had 18 points for Eastern Randolph

UCA’s 57-39 victory against visiting Southwestern Randolph came with 19 points from Lawson.

Southwestern Randolph’s Carter Edmonds scored 24 points in a 77-67 home victory vs. Eastern Randolph. Gee had 25 points.

Triad Area Athletic Conference

Third-seeded Asheboro was ousted from the conference tournament with a 78-58 loss to second-seeded Northeast Guilford in the semifinals Thursday.

Top-seeded Northern Guilford defeated Northeast Guilford 92-79 in Friday’s title game.

With Darrion Johnson scoring 20 points, Asheboro had a 76-57 quarterfinal victory against sixth-seeded Eastern Guilford.

A day before that, Asheboro completed the regular season by defeating host Eastern Guilford 59-44 with Johnson scoring 25 points.

Piedmont Athletic Conference

Connor Cassidy poured in 18 points as Randleman topped visiting High Point Central 60-49 on Thursday to end the regular season on a four-game winning streak. There was no conference tournament.

Earlier in the week, Randleman crushed host Montgomery Central 74-39 and, behind Cassidy’s 17 points, Damari Garner’s 16 points and Pacey Wagner’s 14 points, handled visiting Central Davidson by 64-43.