Star guard OK

Injuries to Bandys High shooting guard Kyle Houser won't keep him out of the lineup during a week that will begin to shape the race for the Catawba Valley Athletic 2A boys' basketball championship.

Houser, who is averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists per game, came out of Friday night's victory at East Burke after hurting his right ankle and knee. But he will play tonight when the Trojans (12-4, 5-1) entertain Bunker Hill (9-7, 3-3).

Houser also has a slight meniscus tear in his right knee that he sustained during football season, but he practiced Monday. He was sore but is expected in the starting lineup tonight, his father, Eric, said on Monday night.

"He'll be fine," Bandys head coach Bradley Gabriel said.

Several area doubleheaders begin early today because of exams, including the Bunker Hill at Bandys games. The varsity girls' game begins at 5:45 p.m., and the boys game will follow.

Bandys, trying to reach 13 wins for the first time since the 2000-2001 season and only the second time in 19 seasons, is tied with Newton-Conover (7-9, 5-1) for second place in the CVAC.

Another key boys' game originally scheduled for tonight, West Caldwell (11-2, 6-0) at Newton-Conover, has been moved to Wednesday. The boys' game follows a girls' game that will start at 4 p.m.
Next Tuesday, Bandys goes to Newton-Conover. The Red Devils' lone CVAC loss is to Bandys, and the Trojans' league loss was at West Caldwell.

Other games with early starts today are:

*** The Maiden at Draughn games in the CVAC begin with the girls' game at 4 p.m.

*** The Hibriten at Alexander Central games in the Northwestern 3A-4A begin with a girls' game at 5:45 p.m. and the boys' game follows.

*** The Watauga at St. Stephens doubleheader in the Northwestern 3A-4A begins with a girls' game at 5:30 p.m., with the boys' game to follow.

BIG GAME DELAYED: The potential showdown game for the early girls' lead in the Northwestern 3A-4A has been delayed.

The South Caldwell (14-1, 5-0) at Hickory (14-2, 4-1) doubleheader has been shifted to Jan. 28 because of exams.

An 85-69 upset victory by Watauga on Friday over the Hickory girls gave South Caldwell the league lead without having to beat the Red Tornadoes.

Watauga's victory snapped Hickory's 69-game conference winning streak that dated back to the first season of the CVAC 2A-3A, a league that lasted four seasons.

Prior to Friday night in Boone, the Red Tornadoes had won all of their conference games since losing at Fred T. Foard in the 2005-2006 season.

Only one other Barbara-Helms coached team at Hickory has given up more than 85 points in a game – Asheville beat Hickory 95-57 in a sectional final in 2004-2005.

The last time Hickory gave up 85 or more points in a regular-season game before Friday was Dec. of 1995 when Wilkes Central nipped Hickory 86-84 in overtime in the fourth game of the 1995-96 season.

Hickory is at home Friday night against Hibriten, and the girls still have an 88-game win streak over teams from the Greater Hickory area and they've won 81 straight home games.

MILESTONES AHEAD: Thirteen games into the season, West Caldwell boys' head coach Danny Anderson has moved within nine wins of 400 with the Warriors in 18 seasons.

Anderson is coaching for the 28th season and has 542 victories overall.

*** Helms has 175 wins as the Hickory girls' coach (175-18). She's in her seventh season there and has 213 career wins.

*** St. Stephens boys' head coach Gary Bowne is flirting with reaching a .500 career record. His teams have gone 271-274 in 22 seasons and 253 of those wins have been at St. Stephens.

*** St. Stephens girls coach Todd Davis got his 150th career win on Jan. 6 when the Indians beat Hibriten. In his ninth season, he's 151-79.

*** Freedom girls' head coach Amber Fox got her 100th career win when the Patriots beat Burns in late December. Her teams have won 107 of 156 games since she took over six years ago.

SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND: The CVAC and Northwestern 3A-4A swim championships are this weekend in Valdese.

The Northwestern 3A-4A championships are Friday at the Valdese Rec Center, starting at 4 p.m.

The CVAC swimmers start their championships, also at the Valdese Rec, on Saturday at 9 a.m.