The stakes go higher Wednesday night for the 10 Greater Hickory area basketball teams still in the state playoffs.
The teams that win second round games will be within a victory of making next week’s West Regionals in Greensboro, and at least two area teams are assured of being eliminated on Wednesday night.
Two head-to-head matchups of area teams highlight the second round:
-- East Burke’s girls (18-9) visit Catawba Valley Athletic 2A foe Newton-Conover (25-3) at 7 p.m. in a 2A game.
-- Freedom’s girls (20-7) play at Hickory (26-1) at 6:30 p.m. in a 3A game.
Newton-Conover’s girls have beaten East Burke twice this season, by 20 at East Burke and, in the most recent game at Newton-Conover, by five.
The Red Devils and Cavs are meeting one round earlier than last season, when Newton-Conover won 61-42 to earn a spot in the West 2A Regionals.
Freedom’s girls play the Red Tornadoes at Craft Gym for the first time since a 53-37 regular season victory there in 1999. The schools haven’t met in girls’ basketball since 2000, when Freedom won by three in a regular season game in Morganton.
Other area teams playing at home on Wednesday night, include the Bandys girls (25-2) against Thomasville in 2A at 7 p.m., the Freedom boys (24-2) against Hunter Huss at 7 p.m. and both Alexander Central teams.
In Taylorsville, it will be a 4A doubleheader with a 6 p.m. start – the Cougars’ girls (19-7) facing Asheville Roberson – followed by the Cougars ((21-6) battling McDowell.
The sectional finals are Friday night and the pairings for the West Regionals are expected to be released over the weekend.
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