Audra Petty of Randleman takes a shot during a game against Uwharrie Charter Academy during the past season. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – Being part of an elite group of girls’ basketball players is special for Randleman’s Audra Petty.
She’ll play in the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game.
“It means a lot to be selected for the East-West Game because some of the best players in the state will be there,” Petty said. “I thought maybe I had a chance with my states from this season.”
Petty’s 17.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game were huge for the Tigers as they maintained their perch as the top team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
Since then, she has been preparing for Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum’s field house, which is home to the Greensboro Swarm. She’ll be on the West team.
For Petty, this comes in advance of playing collegiately for Division III Lynchburg. She’ll major in exercise science.
Petty, a 5-foot-9 guard, played a big role for Randleman, which went undefeated again in PAC play and posted a 20-7 overall record. She was the only senior for the Tigers and the lone returning starter from the 2022-23 team until Gracie Beane was back on the court following an injury.
It marked Petty’s fourth year as a starter, but this wasn’t the same situation.
“It was a lot different than the three previous years,” she said. “I knew that from the beginning I would have to step up in that leadership role. It helped my preparation for college. This year I had to do a little bit of everything.”
Petty said she improved mentally in adjusting from primarily being a shooting threat to more of an all-around player.
Maintaining the perch atop the PAC was important.
“It meant a lot to keep the conference championship,” Petty said. “A lot of people probably thought we might be in the middle of the pack in the league.”
Petty, 18, has been going through workout programs sent to her from the Lynchburg coaching staff.
It’s the second year in a row that a Randleman player will be in the East-West All-Star Game for girls’ basketball. Last July, Gracyn Hall played in the event.
For Petty, there will be players she’s familiar with on the West team based on her time as a member of the Greensboro Lady Gaters travel team. Also picked for the summer game were Hattie Sloyan of Greensboro Page, Jasmine Harris of Northern Guilford and Maslyn Mosbacher of Northwest Guilford.
The girls’ game begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the boys’ game. Asheboro’s Jerquarius Stanback has withdrawn from the boys’ game because of an injury.
