Blanca Thomas' double-double lifts Charlotte Catholic over Watauga in 4A semifinals
Charlotte Catholic's girls basketball team, led by UNC recruit Blanca Thomas, will have a shot to win the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A state championship on Saturday.
Thomas led the 3-seed Cougars to a 61-55 win over 1-seed Watauga on Thursday afternoon at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Thomas finished the day with 27 points for Charlotte Catholic.
Points were hard to come by early, as the game was tied 2-2 with three minutes gone, but Catholic found some offense before the first quarter ended, building an 11-8 lead. Thomas had six points in the first quarter.
Kate Sears kept Watauga in the game. She scored 12 points in the first half but the Pioneers trailed 30-23 at halftime. Thomas had 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half, and the Cougars had a 10-point advantage in points in the paint.
The advantage down low lessened in the second half and Watauga was able to draw closer. The Pioneers outscored Catholic 15-10 in the third quarter, sparked by two quick baskets to begin the half.
Blair Haines hit a three-point basket from the corner late in the third quarter to tie the game and force a Charlotte Catholic timeout. Sears scored 12 points in the third quarter and Watauga trailed 40-38 after three.
Early in the fourth quarter, Gracynn Gough hit a three-point shot for Catholic to give the Cougars a five-point lead, and that proved to be decisive. Watauga never got closer than four points after that.
Thomas, in front of her future college coach in UNC's Courtney Banghart, scored 27 points and recorded 18 rebounds to lead Charlotte Catholic. She was the only player from Catholic in double-figures, but Olivia Fava, Gough, and Maggie Kernodle each scored nine points.
Sears led all scorers in the game with a 38-point performance. She also recorded eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Charlotte Catholic will face the winner of (2) Rolesville and (1) Hoggard in the 4A state championship game on Saturday.
Box Score: Charlotte Catholic 61, Watauga 55
Charlotte Catholic: Blanca Thomas 27 (18 rebounds), Olivia Fava 9, Gracynn Gough 9, Maggie Kernodle 9, Kate Mcardle 6, Martha Tucker 1.
Watauga: Kate Sears 38, Blair Haines 6, Julie Matheson 5, Charlotte Torgerson 4, Laney Shook 2.
