Staff Reports

BOONVILLE — Starmount boys basketball coach Jeffrey Hague didn’t mind that his Rams weren’t playing in a holiday tournament this season.

Tuesday night showed why.

The Rams made extra practice time over the Christmas break pay off in the form of a 60-53 win against visiting North Wilkes. Starmount, playing for the first time since Dec. 16, snapped a seven-game losing streak. North Wilkes had won seven of its first nine games before running into the renewed Rams on Tuesday.

Starmount (2-7, 2-3 in the Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference) used a 22-14 run over the last eight minutes to pull away. North Wilkes dropped to 7-3, 3-2 MVAC.

Jake Barr, recently named an all-state football player by NCPreps.com, flexed his basketball muscles. The junior led the Rams with 20 points. Christian Hurt scored 10 points.

Storm Clonch (12 points), Ty Johnson (11), Allen Johnson (11) and Timmy Johnson (10) each reached double figures for North Wilkes.

Tuesday’s result should amp up the energy level for Thursday’s Starmount-Forbush showdown even more. Forbush also won Tuesday night, beating a solid Wilkes Central team 53-49.

ALLEGHANY 41, EAST WILKES 24: The Cardinals got off to a rough start, scoring just two points in the first quarter. Jarred Cornette was East’s leading scorer with eight points.


Girls Basketball STARMOUNT 73, NORTH WILKES 28: The Lady Rams also seemed rejuvenated following a three-week break from game action, rolling past the Vikings.

Kelli Bonner scored 21 points, while Maygan Baldwin added 14 for Starmount. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Rams, who had lost four of five to end 2009.

Three other players reached double figures for Starmount — Olivia Gough netted 12 points, while Becca Aplin and Ashton Gregory scored 10 points each.

The Rams grabbed a 19-4 lead early. The romp continued into the second half, with coach Kyle Hutchens’ team outscoring North Wilkes 27-9 in the third period and 17-7 in the fourth. Carly Noble led North Wilkes with 16 points. No one else reached double figures.

ALLEGHANY 60, EAST WILKES 48: The Trojans won an important game in the battle between the top 1A girls teams from the MVAC. An 18-7 surge in the third quarter proved key to Alleghany’s win. Kennedy Gambill erupted for 30 points. Lauren Royal countered with 23 for East Wilkes, while Samantha Adams scored 12 points.