WWAY’s Thursday night sports – December 19

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THURSDAY NIGHT HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD

WRESTLING
DIXON 40 – SWANSBORO 28

GIRLS BASKETBALL
TRASK 51 – UNION 32
MIDWAY 51 – PENDER 35
CROATAN 30 – SWANSBORO 21
TOPSAIL 56 – WEST BRUNSWICK 51 ** click icon to see video
EAST BLADEN 58 – CLINTON 51
EAGLES REMAIN UNDEFEATED, LACEY SUGGS LED EAST BLADEN WITH 32 POINTS
LANEY 46 – SCOTLAND COUNTY 22
BUCS REMAIN UNDEFEATED

BOYS BASKETBALL
CLINTON 53 – EAST BLADEN 40
LANEY 67 – SCOTLAND COUNTY 59
TARIQ LANE LED THE BUCCANEERS WITH 21 POINTS AND 7 ASSISTS
KIRBY KEALON ADDED 15 POINTS FOR THE BUCS
ROB PETERSON HAD 12 REBOUNDS, CJ KIRCHOFF ADDED 10 POINTS
TRASK 84 – UNION 33 ** click icon to see video
RASHEED BROWN LED TRASK WITH 24 POINTS
WEST BRUNSWICK 62 – TOPSAIL 42 ** click icon to see video
GRAY CHEERS LED THE TROJANS WITH 20 POINTS, OJ HILL HAD 7 ASSISTS

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Click the play video icon to see game action from UNCW

WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) -– Junior forward Ashley Reninger racked up her seventh double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds and Liberty rallied in the second half for a 64-55 women’s basketball victory over UNCW early Thursday at Trask Coliseum.

The Flames reeled off their fourth consecutive win to even their record at 5-5 in the final non-conference game of the season for Coach Carey Green’s club. The Seahawks dropped their eighth in a row and stand 1-10 going into the Christmas break.

The game was Liberty’s first appearance in Wilmington and marked the seventh installment of the “Seahawks Tomorrow” game with thousands of young students from elementary schools in the Wilmington area attending the matchup.

Reninger, from Canton, Ohio, went 8-of-14 from the field and scored 12 of her game-high points in the second half to help the Flames erase a nine-point deficit. Sophomore guard Sadalia Ellis was the only other player in double figures for the Flames with 11 points.

Junior playmaker Kelva Atkins paced the Seahawks with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Freshman backcourt mate Brie Mobley chipped in 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds for UNCW, which opened a three-game homestand.

After falling behind by six points at intermission and still trailing 36-27 with three minutes elapsed in the second half, Liberty used its decided height advantage by going inside early and often in the second period. The Flames finished with a commanding 45-27 rebounding advantage and scored 13 of their 15 second-half baskets near the rim.

Early in the final half, freshman Ryan Flowers scored three straight baskets and her layup at 17:08 staked the Seahawks to their largest lead of the contest, 36-27. But a pair of layups by Ellis started a 15-4 run for the Flames and Catherine Kearney’s free throw with 11:31 left gave the Flames a narrow 42-40 edge.

The lead changed hands five times over the next six minutes until Reninger keyed a critical late spurt for the Flames. The 6-4 performer converted a layup with 3:20 left to give Liberty a 54-52 lead and then added two free throws to push the advantage to 56-52. Liberty outscored UNCW, 12-2, the rest of the way to take only the second meeting ever between the two teams.

The Seahawks scored the first five points of the game before Liberty recovered and grabbed a 12-9 lead on a Reninger layup with just over 15 minutes left in the first half.

UNCW responded with 10 straight points, however, and freshman guard Johanna McMillan’s triple at 11:18 staked the Seahawks to a 19-12 margin. Mobley later drained a bucket on the right elbow with one second left in the first half to give the Seahawks a 31-25 lead at the break.

The Flames return to the Vines Center to entertain Big South Conference rival Campbell on Sunday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. The Seahawks are off until entertain Florida Atlantic on Monday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES: The announced attendance of 5,421 set a new record for a women’s basketball game at Trask Coliseum, breaking the old mark of 5,263 set against Charleston Southern on Dec. 17, 2010 … The Seahawks started four freshmen and one junior…UNCW is now 5-2 in “Seahawks Tomorrow” games…Liberty scored 42 of its 64 points in the paint…There were eight ties sand nine lead changes…The Seahawks had nine steals…The two teams combined for 4-of-32 behind the arc…Flowers added eight rebounds for UNCW…Each team attempted 16 free throws…Reninger played a game-high 38 minutes for the Flames.

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WILMINGTON, NC (HAMMERHEADS) -– The Wilmington Hammerheads are pleased to announce the signing of defender Yahaya Musa for the 2014 USL PRO regular season, pending USSF approval. Musa returns to the Hammerheads for his second season after debuting with the team back in 2012.

“I appreciate the opportunity to return to Wilmington,” said Musa. “It will be great to be at Legion again, playing for the fans and the Port City Firm. I am looking forward to a successful and memorable season.”

Musa was named Wilmington Hammerheads Defender of the Year by popular fan vote in 2012.

Musa attended a Pro Soccer Consulting Ltd (PSC) combine in March 2012 where he was initially scouted by Wilmington Hammerheads Head Coach David Irving who later signed him to a professional contract for the 2012 USL PRO regular season.

After his stint with the Hammerheads, Musa trained and played with several teams in New York during the 2013 season, most notably, the N.Y. Greek American Atlas. Spending majority of the year coaching full-time, he also trained both teams and individuals.

Prior to his professional career with the Hammerheads, Musa featured for the PDL’s Fort Wayne Fever, Long Island Rough Riders and Kalamazoo Outrage. Musa also spent two season in Puerto Rico with Academia Quintana, Sevilla FC Puerto Rico and Baymón FC.

Musa attended Stony Brook University in New York during his collegiate soccer career. He was captain of his squad in 2006 and 2007 and was a member of the 2005 America East Championship team.

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Click the play video icon to see game action for the Cape Fear Sea Devils.

SUPPLY, NC (BCC) – The Cape Fear Community College men’s basketball team lost in the first round of the Holiday Hoops Classic this afternoon in Supply, NC 79-68 to Wallace State.

The Sea Devils led 33-27 at halftime and kept the lead for 35 minutes, but lost momentum by the end of the second half.

Leading scorers were Anthony Vanhook with 29 points and Osandai Vaughn with 25.

CFCC faces Caldwell Community College tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Other scores: Brunswick CC men beat Harford 75-68. Cam Jones led Brunswick with 18 points. Click the play video icon to see game action.

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NEW YORK (AP) – Jabari Parker had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 8 Duke used a patient offensive attack to beat UCLA 80-63 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Blue Devils (9-2) poked and prodded UCLA’s 2-3 zone from the perimeter, making 11 3-pointers in a season-high 32 attempts from beyond the arc. Parker went 4 for 8 from long range while going over 20 points for the ninth time in his 11 college games.

Rodney Hood and Quinn Cook both had 14 points for the Blue Devils.

David Wear led the Bruins (9-2) with 16 points and Kyle Anderson had 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He entered the game averaging 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)