The Albemarle Bulldogs girls’ basketball team continued its valiant 2023-24 campaign on Friday with a 65-57 victory over Union Academy to win the Yadkin Valley Conference Tournament
Junior point guard Amari Baldwin led the Bulldogs (22-3, 12-0 Yadkin Valley) with 30 points as Albemarle pulled out the eight-point win over the Cardinals (19-4, 8-3 Yadkin Valley).
With a 12-0 conference record, the Bulldogs now have a tournament championship to go with their regular-season championship as the 2023-24 North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs begin this week.
In the 1A bracket, No. 4 Albemarle hosted the No. 29 Mountain Island Charter Raptors (8-14, 5-9 Catawba Shores) on Tuesday [the Bulldogs won in a 73-19 finish and will host No. 13 Union Academy on Friday].
Last season, the Bulldogs made it to the second round of play before getting knocked out of the tournament in a home loss to Robbinsville.
Union Academy 61, North Stanly 57
On Thursday, the North Stanly Comets (19-5, 6-4 Yadkin Valley) suffered a four-point road loss to the Union Academy Cardinals in the semifinals of the YVC Tournament.
Despite a strong season overall, the Comets struggled with Union Academy over the course of the campaign. The Cardinals accounted for three of North’s five losses this season: a 23-point home loss on Jan. 5, a 22-point road loss on Jan. 30, and then the latest meeting between the two teams.
North’s postseason continued this week with a state playoff berth. In the 2A bracket, No. 7 North hosted a familiar foe in the No. 26 Mount Pleasant Tigers (11-14, 4-7 Yadkin Valley) on Tuesday [the Comets won in a 44-30 finish and will host No. 10 West Stanly on Friday].
Monroe 50, West Stanly 22
The West Stanly Colts (13-12, 10-2 Rocky River) were defeated at home by the Monroe Redhawks (11-15, 7-6 Rocky River) last week in the RRC Tournament last week.
While the Colts won their regular-season conference title with a 10-2 record in YVC play, they fell short in their 28-point home loss to the Redhawks.
On Tuesday, West hosted the No. 23 McMichael Phoenix (13-9, 10-2 Mid-State) as a No. 10 seed in the 2A bracket [the Colts won in a 57-39 finish and travel to No. 7 North Stanly on Friday].
Mount Pleasant 40, Gray Stone 24
On. Feb. 19, the Gray Stone Knights (8-15, 2-8 Yadkin Valley) had a 16-point road loss to the Mount Pleasant Tigers.
Receiving a No. 31 seed in the 1A state playoff bracket, the Knights traveled to face the No. 2 Bishop McGuinness Villains (22-4, 12-0 Northwest Piedmont) on Tuesday [the Knights lost in a 71-17 finish].
North Stanly 58, South Stanly 20
In the first round of the YVC Tournament, the South Stanly Bulls (1-21, 0-10 Yadkin Valley) suffered a 38-point road loss to North Stanly last week.
The Bulls’ season ended with only one win as well as a winless record in conference play.