Lady Mustangs win ELWJ

After a sluggish offensive start for both teams, the East Lincoln Lady Mustangs scored 22 points in the third quarter and held off the Lady Mavericks of Mallard Creek for a 54-44 win in the championship game of the East Lincoln Winter Jam holiday basketball tournament Friday night in Denver.

Leading just 24-21 midway through the decisive period, the Lady Mustangs went on an 11-0 run to build a 35-21 advantage and put some distance between them and their 4A opponent from Mecklenburg County.

Madison Self of East Lincoln delivered a big three-point play during that run to give the Lady Mustangs a much needed spark and propel the team to victory.

Mallard Creek would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way, and East Lincoln girls would capture their first Winter Jam title since 1994.

Self, a senior, finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. She also had 4 steals, a pair of assists and drew a charge on the defensive end.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Ginny Overbay added 11 points in the Lady Mustangs championship win.

In addition to Overbay, Self and Hailey McFadden earned All-Tournament honors.

East Lincoln’s defense would force 28 Mallard Creek turnovers in the game.

UP NEXT: The Lady Mustangs (12-0) were scheduled to face West Iredell at home last night.

East Lincoln    7  10  22  15 - 54

Mallard Creek 5  10  11  18 - 44

East Lincoln: Madison Self 20, Ginny Overbay 11, H. McFadden 6, A. Hege 5, K. Anderson 5, T. Thomas 4, E. Montanari 3.

Mallard Creek: Mya Young 17, Allie Horne 10, B. Childs 5, L. Toscano 4, O. Robertson 3, J. Stone 2, D. Titos 2, G. Tapley 1.

ELWJ Girls All-Tournament: East Lincoln: Ginny Overbay (MVP), Madison Self, Hailey McFadden. Mallard Creek: Laylah Toscano, Myasia Young. Lake Norman Charter: Jade Taylor. West Cabarrus: Jade Clowney. Pine Lake Prep: Maddie Hiteshue. East Meck: Ava Stallings. CSD: Olivia Stewart. JM Robinson: Raven Brooks.

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Boys Championship: Mallard Creek 80,

East Lincoln 60

The Mustangs ran into a hot-shooting East Meck (12-1) squad in the boys championship game of the East Lincoln Winter Jam holiday basketball tournament on Friday, falling to the 4A Eagles 80-60 in the final game of the three-day event in Denver.

After a very competitive first quarter that ended with the Mustangs (10-2) leading 17-15, East Meck took control of the contest in the second period.

Led by the hot 3-point shooting of Amari Hicks, the Eagles would go on a game-changing 18-0 run and take a 37-23 lead into the locker room at the half. Hicks, a sophomore, would finish the night with 17 points on five made 3-pointers and a pair of free throws.

Senior Jordan Nevill, the boys Tournament MVP, led the Eagles with a game-high 25 points. Jonah Lawrence chipped in with 16 and Thomas White added 10 for East Meck who made 14 3-pointers in the championship game.

The Mustangs were led by sophomore Jackson Fannon’s 17 points. Senior Keandre Walker added 15 points and fellow senior Mason Simmons had 12. Fannon and Walker were named to the boys All-Tournament team.

UP NEXT: The Mustangs were to host West Iredell Tuesday.

East Meck    14  23  21  22 - 80

East Lincoln 15  8  18  19 - 60

East Meck: Jordan Nevill 25, Amari Hicks 17, Jonah Lawrence 16, Thomas White 10, Bowman 7, Strader 3, Guy 2.

East Lincoln: Jackson Fannon 17, Keandre Walker 15, Mason Simmons 12, Hartsell 4, Kuthan 4, Hill 3, Engstrand 2, Crichton 2, Mizzell 1.

ELWJ Boys All-Tournament: East Meck: Jordan Nevill (MVP), Jonah Lawrence, Braylen Bowman. East Lincoln: Houston Hartsell, Jackson Fannon. Lake Norman Charter: Isaiah Martino. Lake Norman: Nick Arnold. Hunter Huss: Justin Ross. CSD: Connell Lowery. SouthLake Christian: Maddox Watson. Ashbrook: Gavin Fields.

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East Lincoln Winter Jam

at East Lincoln High School

Wednesday Dec. 28

Girls

Mallard Creek 46, East Meck 27

West Cabarrus 56, Jay M. Robinson 34

Lake Norman Charter 52, Comm. School of Davidson 41

East Lincoln 66, Pine Lake Prep 23

Boys

East Meck 81, Ashbrook 51

Lake Norman 80, Hunter Huss 61

Lake Norman Charter 71, Southlake Christian 60

East Lincoln 79, Community School of Davidson 49

Thursday, Dec. 29

Girls

Pine Lake Prep 45, Community School of Davidson 44

East Mecklenburg 39, Jay M. Robinson 34

Mallard Creek 45, West Cabarrus 39

East Lincoln 71, Lake Norman Charter 32

Boys

Hunter Huss 60, Ashbrook 57

Comm. School of Davidson 55, Southlake Christian 45

East Meck 72, Lake Norman 67 (OT)

East Lincoln 72, Lake Norman Charter 67 (OT)

Friday, Dec. 30

Girls

Pine Lake Prep 27, East Meck 23

West Cabarrus 56, Lake Norman Charter 51 (2OT)

Comm. School of Davidson vs. Jay M. Robinson (no report)

East Lincoln 54, Mallard Creek 44

Boys

Lake Norman 90, Lake Norman Charter 46

Comm. School of Davidson 79, Hunter Huss 55

SouthLake Christian 60, Ashbrook 43

East Meck 80, East Lincoln 60

(Published January 4, 2023)