On Friday, the Yadkin Valley Conference-winning Albemarle Bulldogs (20-3, 10-0 Yadkin Valley) defeated the Montgomery Central Timberwolves (15-5, 6-4 Mid-Piedmont) in a 71-56 non-conference finish on the road.
Junior guard Amari Baldwin and junior center Jasmine Brown combined for 43 points in the win.
The Bulldogs have won six of their past seven matchups and even managed to reel off an undefeated conference record, topping their 9-1 YVC record during the 2022-23 campaign.
Their only losses this season were to North Rowan (21-3, 12-0 Central Carolina) — twice — and Bishop McGuinness (20-4, 12-0 Northwest Piedmont).
The top-seeded Bulldogs received a first-round bye in the YVC Tournament and will now host the winner of fourth-seeded Mount Pleasant (10-13, 4-6 Yadkin Valley) and fifth-seeded Gray Stone (8-14, 2-8 Yadkin Valley) in the semifinals on Thursday. The championship game is set for Friday night.
North Stanly 57, South Stanly 28
On Thursday, the North Stanly Comets (18-4, 6-4 Yadkin Valley) took down the South Stanly Bulls (1-20, 0-10 Yadkin Valley) in a 29-point road win.
North finished third in the YVC standings, two games behind Union Academy (18-3, 8-2 Yadkin Valley) and four games behind Albemarle.
The two teams linked up again on Monday as the third-seeded Comets played the sixth-seeded Bulls in Mount Pleasant in the first round of the YVC Tournament. The winner is scheduled to challenge second-seeded Union Academy (18-3, 8-2 Yadkin Valley) on Thursday in the semifinal round.
West Stanly 61, Piedmont 46
The Rocky River Conference-winning West Stanly Colts (13-11, 10-2 Rocky River) defeated the Piedmont Panthers (14-9, 7-5 Rocky River) 61-46 at home on Friday.
The Colts closed out their regular season winning five out of six games and finished with a three-game conference lead over the Panthers, Parkwood Wolf Pack (11-12, 7-5 Rocky River) and Forest Hills (11-10, 7-5 Rocky River) in the RRC standings.
The Colts will now square off in the RRC Tournament in a matchup to be determined.
Gray Stone 43, South Stanly 28
Snapping a six-game losing skid, the Knights defeated the Bulls 43-28 in Misenheimer on Feb. 13.
Gray Stone traveled to Mount Pleasant on Monday to play the Tigers in a first-round tournament matchup. The winner is scheduled to face Albemarle on Thursday in the semifinal round.