Prep Boys: Providence Grove takes charge in conference race

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Kareem Helms shoots between Jordan-Matthews’ Namir Wiley, left, and Lennox Mordecai in last Thursday night’s game. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

Providence Grove’s Will Dabbs had a big week offensively the Patriots won a pair of Central Carolina 3-A Conference boys’ basketball games.

Dabbs with 26 points and Andrew Thomas with 24 points accounted for two-thirds of Providence Grove’s points in a 75-59 road victory against Wheatmore. Gabe McKoy added 12 points.

Avery Ivey had 22 points for the Warriors.

Then Friday night, Dabbs had 27 points, Thomas had 22 points and Cam Jones added 15 points and eight rebounds when first-place Providence Grove cruised past visiting Thomasville 74-54. The Patriots led 48-25 at halftime.

A Thomasville victory would have forged a three-way tie for first place between Providence Grove, Wheatmore and Thomasville midway through the conference schedule

** Wheatmore recovered by Friday night’s 75-44 victory at Trinity, with Ivy going for 25 points and Jordan Starkey provided 15 points.

Trinity lost 66-25 earlier in the week at West Davidson.

** Uwharrie Charter Academy won twice in the Four Rivers Conference.

Kaleb Harvey had 14 points and Jaxon Mabe scored 13 when UCA topped host Eastern Randolph 63-45, withstanding a 32-point effort from Wildcats guard Tyler Gee.

Then the Eagles prevailed 56-41 against visiting Jordan-Matthews with Mabe scoring 15.

UCA began the week with a 46-44 loss at Ledford.

** Southwestern Randolph lost twice in the Four Rivers Conference, first falling to host Jordan-Matthews by 42-41 that marked the end of a five-game winning streak. Then came a 65-43 home loss to first-place Northwood.

** Randleman nipped visiting Eastern Randolph 55-53 last Thursday with Connor Cassidy notching 16 points and Pacey Wagner scoring 13. Those outputs offset Gee’s 26 points and Emmitt Frye’s 13 points for Eastern Randolph

Then the Tigers returned to Piedmont Athletic Conference action Friday night and lost 73-60 at High Point Andrews.

** Asheboro’s six-game winning streak ended when the Blue Comets stumbled in a 69-50 loss at Northeast Guilford in the Triad Area Athletic Conference. Nirey White had 19 points for Asheboro, but the team’s first league loss came in its only game last week.