South brushes aside North Moore in YVC first round

Tue. February 14, 2012 at 10:29 p.m. | By Mike Duprez

South Davidson's Daniel Cook gets free for a shot in the lane against North Moore during their game Tuesday night. (Photo by Donnie Roberts/The Dispatch)

DENTON | South Davidson’s record-breaking season stayed on course with the opening of the Yadkin Valley Conference tournament Tuesday night.

Austin Hatfield poured in 24 points and twin brother Taylor Hatfield added 20 as the second-seeded Wildcats brushed aside No. 7 North Moore 85-49 to advance to Thursday’s semifinals.

The Wildcats were challenged only for the first five minutes of the game as they pushed their record to 21-4. South will face No. 3 seed Albemarle at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals at East Montgomery.

Point guard Wil Collins had 11 points and forward Daniel Cook nine for the Wildcats.

“It was a slow start,” said South coach Jim Young. “They slowed it down and spread out. We like to run and that frustrated us a little bit. They did a good job of slowing it down at their place and we had to be more patient this time. The difference is we didn’t get as frustrated this time. Once we settled down, it was good.”

That was indeed the plan for the Mustangs to spread the floor and shorten the game.

“We had a game plan,” said North Moore coach Grant Smith, whose team ended the season with a 3-19 record. “Obviously, we wanted to slow down the shooters, Taylor and Austin.

“To do that, we wanted to slow down Wil. That’s something we were not able to do successfully.”

Still, it was an 8-7 game midway through the first quarter.

But then Cook made one of two free throws and David Whitaker scored on a fast break layup. Cook scored in the paint after a charging foul and Taylor Hatfield hit a 3-pointer from the wing after a pair of missed free throws by the Mustangs. After another pair of missed free throws by the Mustangs, Austin Hatfield followed a missed shot on a fast break to cap a 10-0 run, making it 18-7.

North Moore was just 3-for-9 from the free throw line while the Wildcats were 17-for-23.

Quashan Davis, who led North Moore with 15 points, hit a jumper to briefly cut the lead to nine but that was as close as the Mustangs could get. South led 42-19 at halftime and continued to build its lead in the second half.

“We were never able to get in sync,” Smith said. “But I’m not taking anything away from South Davidson. They’ve got a good bunch of kids and they’re talented. We wish them luck the rest of the tournament.”

The going figures to get tougher for South against Albemarle, a team it split with in the regular season. The Wildcats lost 75-62 at home and won 71-67 at Albemarle. Right now, South has the YVC’s No. 2 seed for the state playoffs and that won’t change unless a lower seeded team wins the tournament.

“We want them both, to win the whole thing,” Young said. “It’s a big game. It’s seems like every game we’ve played this season is big.”

Justin Marley and Landon Auman each scored 12 points for North Moore.

Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.