WAXHAW, NC – Weddington has put another team behind them in their championship pursuit with a third-round playoff victory over the Cox Mill Chargers. With just two wins to go before a championship matchup, top seed Weddington is looking ahead to round four where they will face off at home against the five-seed Chambers Cougars. Here is a closer look at Weddington’s 61-48 third-round win on Saturday and the players that made a difference in round three.

In a game that was securely in the hands of Weddington by the end, the first half of their matchup against Cox Mill was a different story. Tied at 10-10 by the end of the first quarter, the Warriors looked to have a real challenge on their hands hosting the Chargers.

Weddington opened the second quarter with three free throws and several offensive rebounds. Despite their ability to draw fouls and pressure the boards, Weddington quickly lost their early second-quarter lead to the three-point shooting and ball movement of the Chargers.

A put-back layup with just under four minutes left to go in the half, by Weddington junior Berni Tah, brought the lead back to the Warriors who maintained that momentum for only a few minutes until Cox Mill’s sharp shooting from beyond the arc turned the tide again. 

Turnovers and free throws kept Weddington alive in a back and forth end to the second quarter, but Cox Mill’s range was left uncontested as the Chargers put up two long shots from near half-court, taking a 26-22 lead into halftime. 

The second half of basketball was a different story, as the unstoppable drive that brought Weddington this far began to shine through. Through creative shots and aggressive play, the Warriors had established a 33-28 lead with just over four minutes left to play in the third. 

Cox Mill could not deny the Warriors on the boards, who began to earn second-chance shots on most of their misses. The Chargers failed to stop Weddington’s strong drives to the basket, quickly finding themselves trailing the Warriors 37-28. A long three-point shot from Weddington junior Evan Morton, following a Cox Mill timeout, earned the Warriors their first double-digit lead of the night, putting the team ahead 40-30 with just over a minute left in the third.

With 6:32 to go in the fourth quarter, Weddington led the Chargers 42-34. As if a different team had taken the court, a tremendous Cox Mill run shaved the scoring gap down to just a few points. With four minutes left to play, the Warriors led 44-40. Weddington’s sharp shooting abilities came into play, and with one minute left in the half, the Warriors led 53-43. Despite strategic fouling and tough play until the end from Cox Mill, Weddington was able to run down the clock and finish the game 61-48. 

Weddington senior Kyle Frazier and junior Evan Morton split the scoring responsibilities on Saturday, earning 16 points each. Junior Berni Tah led on the boards with nine rebounds on the night. Senior guard Chase Lowe rounded out Weddington’s play with 12 points, four rebounds, and six assists.