The Vikings, who went 2-1 in the Maryland National Hoops Classic last week, won their third straight game Tuesday, downing visiting Mallard Creek 66-44 to improve to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in the I-Meck Conference. Wiggins turned in a typical performance, scoring a game-high 26 points, including 17 in the first half, as North pulled away at the end of the second quarter and never let up against the Mavericks (8-3, 3-1), who entered the game unbeaten in conference play.
Mallard Creek used a 2-3 zone most of the night, attempting to control the game's pace and slow down the Vikings. The strategy worked early, but a pair of Wiggins' three-pointers midway through the second quarter helped North stretch a lead that seemed stuck at five or six most of the half, to double digits by the break. From that point on, the Vikings were in control.
"We got a couple steals, made that run and after that, they (Mallard Creek) never could get going," Lewis said.
The Vikings coach attributed his team's early-season success to hard work and unselfish play.
"This is a fun group of kids to coach," Lewis said. "They work hard. I feel we're a deep team. We can interchange a lot of players."
While the effort and team-first attitudes are leading to victories so far this season, Lewis acknowledged that someone must emerge as a consistent, bona fide scoring threat opposite Wiggins for the team to reach its potential.
"We talked about that before the game," Lewis said. "That is definitely a key factor."
A few players have flashed signs they could become that go-to player alongside Wiggins, who contributed four steals, four assists and six rebounds to his 26 points against Mallard Creek. Shakir Arnett, Rashaan Brown, Tahjai Watt and Josh Stepoli have all shown the ability to take on some added responsibilities offensively. If that happens, the Vikings might not allow teams like the Mavericks to hang around within striking distance for extended periods of the game, as was the case on Tuesday.
North Meck led 13-12 after one quarter. It was 18-17 when Wiggins hit one of his three-pointers. The senior point guard added three more buckets and assisted on two others, including a Kyle Burton three just before halftime that gave the Vikings their 11-point cushion. Mallard Creek got as close as 38-31 in the second half before Stepoli went to work in the low post, helping key a 10-2 run to end the quarter. The Vikings led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter.
North hosts Vance on Friday in another key I-Meck game. Both teams have one conference loss. Mooresville and West Charlotte also have just one conference loss.
Lady Vikes get much-needed win
Kelly Beasley scored a career-high 18 points and Jasmine Cash recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds as the North girls' team jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 57-51 victory against Mallard Creek, a team the Vikings lost to during East Lincoln's holiday tournament last week.
The tournament game will not count toward the I-Meck standings, and neither will North's 66-31 victory over league foe Mooresville in the same event. But the experience against the Mavs seemed to help the Viking cause.
Tuesday's victory was the first in four conference games for the Lady Vikings. In each of the first three league contests, North had chances to win in the final minute only to come up short. In two of those games — at Lake Norman and at home against West Charlotte — North led with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
On Tuesday, the team finally closed out an opponent in the final seconds, as Beasley and freshman Jayhad Hayden swished 15-footers on consecutive possessions to break away from a 47-47 tie. Destiny Barrino added 10 points for the Vikings, who are 7-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
