Monday’s Roundup: Charlotte Country Day streaking towards Providence Day, history | Charlotte Observer

It’s been 10 years since Charlotte Country Day’s boys basketball team won a conference title. And since the Buccaneers finished 20-8 in February of 2008, Country Day has not had another winning season.

That could change Tuesday night.

Country Day beat rival Charlotte Latin 68-55 on the road Monday to improve to 16-8. With one more win, the Bucs would guarantee themselves a winning season, and Country Day (16-8, 3-1 CISAA) would also be on track to win another conference championship, too. Country Day is tied with Providence Day (18-9, 3-1) for second place in the CISAA behind Charlotte Christian (16-6, 4-0).

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The Bucs play at Providence Day Tuesday night in a game that -- if Country Day can pull off the upset -- could put the Chargers’ run of five straight league championships in serious jeopardy, and propel Country Day towards just its fourth title in 33 seasons.

According to Observer records, the Bucs most recent league championships came in 2008, 1993 and 1985. Country Day hasn’t beaten Providence Day since January 2012. The Chargers have won the past 12 meetings.

Country Day has a real chance to end that streak Tuesday night.

“I’m excited for the guys,” Country Day coach Dwayne Cherry said. “This was a group that came in as freshman -- (juniors) Rylan McLaurin, Myles Browner, Alex Tabor and Triston Miller -- and we had kind of circled this year as what we thought could be a special season.”

Miller, a 6-foot-6, 275-pounder, has gravitated to football and left the basketball team. An all-conference junior offensive lineman, Miller has committed to play college football at Wake Forest, but is still piling up offers. He got offered by Tennessee last week. Without Miller, Country Day would’ve been small. But last season, DeAngelo Epps, a bullish 6-foot-5 forward, transferred from West Charlotte. Epps, another junior, has become the Bucs star.

He is averaging 18.7 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Tabor (12 points, 2.2 rebounds) -- who set a school-record with nine made 3-pointers against national power Greensboro Day -- and McLaurin (10.4 points, 6.5 assists) also average double-figures.

Led by its collection of juniors, Country Day has piled up a few signature wins, like a 72-67 decision over Charlotte Catholic in November on the road (Catholic is now No. 5 in the Observer’s Sweet 16 poll); and one-point win over a Hough team in December that looks like bona-fide 4A playoff group.

Country Day also played Greensboro Day to a six-point game in December and lost by six to Sweet 16 No. 2 Independence a few weeks after that.

But Cherry’s Bucs really got going after an embarrassing 73-38 loss to Charlotte Christian at home Jan. 9. Down 10 at halftime, Cherry saw his team fall apart in the third quarter. Christian ran its lead to 23 and Cherry decided to sit his starters.

“It looked like we had no life,” Cherry said. “You could see that mentally, we weren’t in it. I said, ‘Let’s give the other kids a shot.’ In some ways that’s the best thing that has happened. (The starters) talked about it. They were a little upset with me, but it sent a statement that if you’re not ready to play, I’ll give somebody else a chance. They’ve been different since then.”

After the Christian loss, the Bucs beat Concord Cannon School on the road by two, stopping a perennial state title contender that features national top 100 recruit Jairus Hamilton, who has committed to Boston College. After that came wins over Covenant Day, Asheville School and Monday’s win at Charlotte Latin -- made possible by a second quarter when the Bucs held Latin to six points.

Epps finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds Monday. Tabor made five 3-point shots and had 15 points.

And now, Cherry has his team set on chasing a league title. He was part of the 1992-93 team that finished 23-4 and won a conference crown.

“The guys seem to be a lot more locked in now,” Cherry said. “The effort is there defensively, and we’re doing a better job rebounding and offensively, we’re taking better shots. Like I said, the guys just seemed more locked in and focused on both ends of the floor.”

Elevator

↑United Faith girls defense: Falcons allowed just one point to North Hills Christian in the third quarter of a 61-36 win Monday. United Faith led 38-22 at halftime but ended the game with the third quarter defensive effort.

↑Charlotte Latin girls: Hawks (12-7, 3-1) got 21 points from UNC signee Claudia Dickey and beat rival Charlotte Country Day 62-39 Monday. Latin its fourth straight game and pulled even with the Bucs (8-10, 3-1) for second place in the CISAA behind league-leading Providence Day (18-5, 4-0).

↑Reigan Richardson, Hickory Ridge girls: Named N.C. High School Athletic Association girls performer of the week for Jan. 8-13. The freshman averaged 14 points and seven rebounds in three games.

↑Jaden Springer, Rocky River: Sophomore All-American has 994 career points heading into Tuesday’s game at Myers Park.

↑Kings Mountain’s Big 3: Zeke Littlejohn (22 points, six rebounds, four assists), Adrian Delph (20 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds) and Eli Paysour (17 points, 12 rebounds) led the Mountaineers to an 82-46 win Monday over Belmont Stuart Cramer.

↑Ardren Christ School: longtime N.C. private school power beat Concord Cannon School 66-62 on the road Monday to win its eighth straight game. National top 15 recruit Jalen Lecque, a 6-4 junior, finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. Christ School has won eighth straight games.

So why is Christian Laettner at Garinger?

So why is the former Duke All-American spending the week coaching and teaching with the boys’ team at Garinger High School?

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Links to more content

Monday’s boys/girls high school basketball summaries

NC media basketball poll released + other statewide polls

Charlotte Observer high school players of the week

Observer-area games of the week, full schedule

Ardrey Kell still rules in girls Sweet 16 poll

Monday’s #BIG5 Performers

Breya Busby, Ryan Swilling, United Faith girls: Busby, a freshman, had 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and four assists in a 61-36 win over Salisbury’s North Hills Christian. Swilling, an eighth grader playing varsity, had 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal.

DeAngelo Epps, Charlotte Country Day: 23 points, 10 rebounds in a 68-55 win over Charlotte Latin.

Cameron June, Gastonia Ashbrook: 24 points in a 71-43 win over Lawndale Burns.

Shamicah Sturdivant, Sugar Creek Charter: Scored 17 of her game-high 29 points in the second half of a 49-44 win over Community School of Davidson. Sturdivant also had seven rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists for Sugar Creek Charter (13-5).

Alex Tabor, Charlotte Country Day: junior sharpshooter made five 3-point shots and had 15 points in the Latin win.

This story was originally published January 22, 2018 11:39 PM.