Nov. 29 Swannanoa Valley Sports Report
Colleges
The Valley’s best college basketball team this season to date is the Montreat Cavaliers, who were 6-0 heading into a break for Thanksgiving. (See this issue’s profile for more on head coach Garrett Jones and the team.) The Cavaliers travel to Dayton, Tennessee to face Bryan College (4-5) of the AAC this week. Senior Alonzo Mobley is in the league’s top five in blocks/game (1.5) and assists/game 3.67.
Montreat’s women’s team moved above .500 last week with their third-straight win, a 75-74 thriller over St. Andrews on Nov. 20. The team is now 4-3 on the season and 3-2 in the conference. Against the Knights, senior Arianna Williams had twenty points, while fellow senior Jala Daniels was right behind with 18. Williams added six assists for Montreat. The three straight wins are the most in a row since 2015-2016 for the Cavs. Daniels is fifth in the conference with a 15.8 points-per-game average.
On Nov. 21, Warren Wilson’s Jordan Gant passed 1,000 points for the Owls’ men’s basketball team.
“I'm thankful for having awesome teammates in the past and present, and my coach for allowing me this opportunity to be where I am today,” said Gant.
On the year, the Owls are 3-7, and dropped a 103-89 decision to Mars Hill on the road on Nov. 20. Within the USCAA’s Division II Warren Wilson is 1-0 on the season. The Owls can score, and have eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of their nine games this season.
The Owls’ women’s team fell to Mars Hill by a 78-69 score on the same night that the men’s team faced the Lions. Despite starting at 1-6 as a team, Danasia Dumas has continued to score, averaging 26 ppg this season.
High Schools
The Owen High School boys basketball team opened their year on Tuesday with a home game against T.C. Roberson; check in next week for the score. Their 2018-19 season includes 24 scheduled games, and the Warhorses won’t open their conference schedule until they host Polk County on Jan. 4.
The Warlassies opened the season on Nov. 20 with a 56-31 loss to Erwin High School. Owen struggled to score through the game’s first three quarters, but finished on a high note when they outscored the Warriors, 16-15, in the final quarter. Senior Chesney Gardner had 24 points in the loss for Owen. As previously reported, Gardner signed with USC Aiken, where she will continue her career on the hardwood.
Gardner and the Warlassies returned to the court on Tuesday, when they also hosted the T.C. Roberson Rams. The team is led by first-year head coach Rusty Smith.