The Jordan-Matthews Lady Jets traveled up to Pilot Mountain on Thursday night in second round action of the NCHSAA 1A West Sectional 2 playoffs to take on Northwest Conference champion East Surry, who came in sporting a 23-4 record.

When all was said and done, the favored Lady Cards were just happy to get out of the game with a win in a contest much, much closer than the final score of 47-38 indicated.

"We played very well, especially defensively where we gave their guards trouble all night long," said J-M coach Jeff Stutts after the contest. "In the end turnovers cost us and we just didn’t come up with the key plays down the stretch."

The Lady Jets, who finish the season 16-12 overall, entered the contest fresh off a 55-45 first round win over South Stokes in Siler City on Monday night.

Against East Surry, it didn’t take long to see that J-M hadn’t made the 1 1/2 hour bus ride just to make an appearance, rather the Jets had come to win.

If only the world was perfect.

In a perfect world, the Chatham Central Bears would have shocked the high-school basketball world with a tremendous upset of the Thomasville Bulldogs last Wednesday night.

In a perfect world, the Bears would have held the ball for a last second shot when they took over possession down just two with 46 seconds to go in the game.

In a perfect world, either Seth Kivett or DJ Allen or Cole Hudson would have let a 3-pointer fly at the buzzer that would find nothing but net, giving CC and its head coach Bill Slaughter a win for the ages.

The world, however, is not perfect.

There was no magical three and there was no upset for the ages.

The Bears fell three points short, ending a difficult season in which CC fought hard every night but came up on the losing end more times than it won.

The year was not only hard on the court for coach Bill Slaughter in terms of wins and losses, but off the court as well with the death of his wife due to cancer.

In a perfect world, things like this don’t happen to someone like Slaughter.

Unfortunately, I have the experience of witnessing my father-in-law pass six years ago after a losing fight with cancer.

It was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through as a person, watching someone I care about grow so weak and fragile.

more- See Thursday, March 3 paper: Vol 85, No. 14

BEAR CREEK – North Stokes had a lot of what it needed to knock off Chatham Central.

The Vikings came in and played solid defense, they knocked down open shots, and they hustled.

What NS didn’t have was Becca Bolton.

Using her clear height advantage and ability to get to the basket, Bolton scored a game-high 19 points, leading the Bears to a 56-40 opening round victory in the NCHSAA 1A playoffs.

"I thought we played real well defensively," said Bears coach Gerald Binkely. "That’s as well as we have defensively in a while.

"She (Bolton) is a tough match-up for other teams. Most of the time she’s quicker than inside people. We get the ball to her and give her some room to operate."

Although the Vikings had a talented team, CC was taller inside and head the ability to match NS on the perimeter.

During the key stretch of the game Tuesday night, the Bears utilized both.

The Vikings’ Mary Beth Greer shot her team right into contention early with a eight-point barrage in the opening four minutes, including a pair of 3-pointers.

CC stayed close by getting to the six times in the quarter, converting five of them.

more- See Thursday, March 3 paper: Vol 85, No. 14

The Rams were set to have a good team this year, but the addition of three talented players from Puerto Rico has sent SHS to a much higher level.

Jordan-Matthews found that out first hand on Wednesday evening as the Jets dropped an 81-66 decision to Starmount in what was a wild night in Boonville.

The second round loss in the NCHSAA 1A West Sectional 2 playoffs eliminated J-M’s post-season hopes and its season at 14-14 overall.

Starmount (24-3), which shifts back to the 2A ranks this fall, moved on to host North Stokes in the 1A West Sectional 2 finals with the big to the 1A West Regionals in Winston Salem on the line.

While the loss was disappointing, J-M first year head coach P.J. Lowman had nothing but high praise for his young squad which loses just three seniors to graduation.

"We competed hard the entire game and with a few breaks and stops here and there, the outcome may have been different," said Lowman. "Obviously Starmount is good, they have a great inside and out game, and No. 32 (Beau Booker) is not one of the transfers and isn’t talked about, but he can flat out play."