MONROE — The Central Academy boys basketball team improved to 3-4 on the season with a 62-51 home win over Rocky River Conference foe North Stanly on Tuesday.

The Cougars used a 10-0 run to start the second half to break a 32-all tie at halftime and take the lead for good.

The run started a 21-6 quarter for the Cougars, with Darnell Hill scoring seven of his team-high 15 points during the period.

Central Academy hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter on their way to a 19-14 lead through the first eight minutes.

The Cougars then built that lead to 10 early in the second quarter, but watched it disappear as the Comets went on a 12-0 run to take a 30-28 lead.

North Stanly (3-5) connected on just two 3-pointers for the game while the Cougars dropped in eight from behind the arc.

Hill finished with a game-high 17 rebounds and three assists, and 12 of his 15 points came in the second half.

Four of the Cougars’ starting five scored in double digits. John Quintero dropped in 14 on the strength of three triples, Kasey Robinson scored 12 and Matt Bartley added 11.

Central Academy owend a 40-30 advantage on the glass.

Chris Edwards and Alex Russell led the Comets in scoring with 21 and 19 points, respectively.

Comets crush CATA girls

North Stanly’s girls cruised to an 84-33 win over the Cougars.

Larie Bailey stood out for CATA (3-4), scoring a team-high 17 points. but she was the only player on the team to reach double figures.

North Stanly (8-0) hit seven 3-pointers, including four by Elizabeth Deeck, who finished with 15 points.

Every player on North Stanly’s team got into the scoring column while only six girls found the bottom of the net for the Cougars.

Symphonie Richardson led the way for the Comets with a game-high 18 points while also pulling in six rebounds.

Bailey and the Comets’ Lidsey Burleson shared game-high honors for rebounds with nine apiece.