Vanhook, Tigers too much for Wildcats

The Beast was back at Chapel Hill High on Friday. He arrived just in time to help the Tigers avenge an earlier loss to non-conference rival East Chapel Hill.
Senior Anthony Vanhook scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Tigers past East Chapel Hill 54-43.
“We’ve been waiting for that breakout game,” Chapel Hill coach Tod Morgan said of his senior forward. “We nicknamed him ‘Beast’ last year because he had a really great year. Every game, it seemed like he had double-figure points, double-figure rebounds.”
Jamella Smith had 15 points and Catherine Romaine added 12 as Chapel Hill also took the doubleheader-opening girls’ game 68-38 despite a game-high 18 points from Adrienne Davis.
Vanhook worked the short corner area of ECH’s 2-3 zone with abandon, as the Tigers’ perimeter players stretched the defense with nimble passing. Vanhook scored nine of Chapel Hill’s 11 first-quarter points with almost all of his 27 coming within a couple feet of the rim.
“We think the high post and short corner are areas you can attack (against East Chapel Hill’s zone),” Morgan said. “We had an emphasis on it the last couple of days of practice in terms of how you get the ball there, and then once we get it there, to be very aggressive.
“I think Anthony did a great job of buying into that part of the game plan, and then the guys did a great job of finding him.”
Still, despite falling behind 11-2 early, East Chapel Hill stayed in the game until late in the fourth quarter. Trailing 48-40, officials whistled the Wildcats for a rebounding foul and then added a technical on the bench — a call that mystified Wildcats coach Ray Hartsfield.
“We got a foul down there off a missed shot, and then I looked up and we had a technical foul,” Hartsfield said. “All of sudden, we’re down 10 instead of two possessions.”
That double-digit lead for the Tigers was the game’s first as the two rivals played a physical, back-and-forth game to the delight of a large, raucous crowd. Tykeem Woodard and Justen Best led the Wildcats with 13 points apiece.
“It’s a rivalry game, so you always hope you can keep your composure in a game like this,” Morgan said.
“We didn’t execute real well tonight, and a lot of that’s a credit to what Chapel Hill did defensively,” Hartsfield said. “I hate rivalry games, but it’s good for the community, good for the fans and it gives us a good idea of where we’re at and what we need to work on.”

Chapel Hill (B) 54, ECH 43
EAST CHAPEL HILL — Arkavius Parks 3, Tykeem Woodard 13, Louis Levin 7, Justen Best 13, Robert Wilson 8.
CHAPEL HILL — Stephen Himmelberg 4, Anthony Vanhook 27, Jamarius Jones 3, Elliot Orenstein 6, Andrew Grant 6, Ryan Hegedus 8.
Chapel Hill|11|14|14|15—54
East Chapel Hill|12|8|14|9—43
Records—East Chapel Hill 6-2, Chapel Hill 4-2.

Chapel Hill (G) 68, ECH 38
CHAPEL HILL — Tamia Eatmon 5, Laura Musalem 4, Arianne Jacobs 4, Katie Guthmiller 2, Jessica Wall 6, Mariah Jacobs 2, Raziyah Farrington 9, Catherine Romaine 12, Jamella Smith 15, Autumn West 9.
EAST CHAPEL HILL — Ali Cyr-Scully 9, Teara Holt 8, Riley Foster 2, Adrienne Davis 18, Sarah Towne 1.
Records—East Chapel Hill 2-6, Chapel Hill 5-0.