A Quave Comeback
ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
JOE HABINA Special to the Independent Tribune
CONCORD – It was the kind of shot that victories often make famous, put up by a player who had the hottest minute-and-a-half of any those playing in the Providence Day-Cannon School boys basketball game at Boswell Gym Friday.
The Cougars’ Austin Swartz had already connected on two 3-pointers in a recent 25-second span when he hovered inside the arc on the right wing and quickly took a dribble backwards to ensure another trey would splash over the outstretched hand of a defender.
.
There were 60 seconds left in the game at that time and, unfortunately for Cannon School, Swartz’ 3-pointer were the last points from the field for either team. Providence Day made six of nine free throws down the stretch and captured a 67-60 road victory in Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association play.
Cannon School, which was scheduled to play at Charlotte Latin on Saturday, dropped to 3-2 in league play and 10-12 overall. Providence Day, whose last loss was to the visiting Cougars on Jan. 11, improved to 18-5, 5-1.
“… Our guys are trying really hard, that’s the big thing,” said Cannon School coach Che’ Roth. “I wouldn’t expect anything but our guys to keep coming at them. It’s a rivalry game in the league, and the league championship has come through Cannon several times.”
Swartz scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter with six of those coming at a desperate time for the Cougars, the two-time defending private schools 4A state champions. When Donovan Atwell (18 points) made two free throws with two minutes, 48 seconds left in the game, Providence Day held its largest lead, 58-45.
But Swartz hit consecutive 3’s before Atwell broke the momentum with a three-point play for a 61-51 Chargers’ advantage. Cannon School got no closer than 64-60 when Karon Boyd made the last of his six fourth-quarter free throws with 25 seconds left.
The game ended vastly different from how it started for Cannon School.
Inside the game’s first three minutes, senior forward D.J. Nix helped the Cougars score the first 10 points with a short hook from the low block and a 3-pointer with a hand in his face from the left corner.
The Chargers, meanwhile, missed their first five shots – all from beyond the arc. Swartz’ first 3-pointer gave Cannon School its largest lead, 13-1, just beyond the first period’s four-minute mark.
But Providence Day settled into a rhythm over the remaining 12 minutes of the first half, especially in the second quarter. Senior point guard Quave Propst-Allison, who was the South Piedmont 3A Conference’s Player of the Year as a Cox Mill sophomore in 2019-20, scored nine of his team-high 20 points as the Chargers took a 25-23 lead to halftime.
Playing in front of many of his Cabarrus County family members, Propst-Allison had four assists and perhaps lulled Cannon School’s defense into believing he wasn’t much of an outside scoring threat. Of his three 3-pointers, including two in the second quarter, he was wide open on every one of them.
“At the beginning of the game, I started off with a little hesitation,” said Propst-Allison, who is the son of former A.L. Brown star athlete and NFL player Aundrae Allison.
“I wanted to just be more of a point guard and control the game and get my teammates open,” Propst-Allison continued. “But once I realized how the defense was playing me, my coach pulled me over. He trusts me, so he said they were backing off and to just shoot the ball … I just trusted my instincts.”
Providence Day’s first-year coach is Ron Johnson, who won a state championship during a four-year stint at Cannon School in the early 2000s. He too was glad to see some old friends in his first return to the school since 2008.
Boyd, one of Propst-Allison’s former Cox Mill teammates, played splendidly with a game-high 14 rebounds and scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second half. The super senior Nix led Cannon School with 22 points on four 3-pointers.
Six-foot, 10-inch center Riley Allenspach and Atwell took over in the second half for Providence Day. Allenspach’s teammates constantly fed him in the low block, where he scored most of his 20 points.
Allenspach had a team-high eight rebounds. Atwell was his outside counterpart, hitting three 3-pointers on his way to an 18-point night.
SCORING SUMMARY
Providence Day 7 18 24 18 -- 67
Cannon 15 8 16 21 -- 60
PROVIDENCE DAY – Quave Propst-Allison 20, Donovan Atwell 18, Scott 5, Riley Allenspach 20, Horton 4.
CANNON SCHOOL – Austin Swartz 14, Claggett 3, Henry 2, D.J. Nix 22, Karon Boyd 14, Hagedorn 5.
ROBERT IRBY Special to the Independent Tribune
JOE HABINA Special to the Independent Tribune
CONCORD – It was the kind of shot that victories often make famous, put up by a player who had the hottest minute-and-a-half of any those playing in the Providence Day-Cannon School boys basketball game at Boswell Gym Friday.
The Cougars’ Austin Swartz had already connected on two 3-pointers in a recent 25-second span when he hovered inside the arc on the right wing and quickly took a dribble backwards to ensure another trey would splash over the outstretched hand of a defender.
.
There were 60 seconds left in the game at that time and, unfortunately for Cannon School, Swartz’ 3-pointer were the last points from the field for either team. Providence Day made six of nine free throws down the stretch and captured a 67-60 road victory in Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association play.
Cannon School, which was scheduled to play at Charlotte Latin on Saturday, dropped to 3-2 in league play and 10-12 overall. Providence Day, whose last loss was to the visiting Cougars on Jan. 11, improved to 18-5, 5-1.
“… Our guys are trying really hard, that’s the big thing,” said Cannon School coach Che’ Roth. “I wouldn’t expect anything but our guys to keep coming at them. It’s a rivalry game in the league, and the league championship has come through Cannon several times.”
Swartz scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter with six of those coming at a desperate time for the Cougars, the two-time defending private schools 4A state champions. When Donovan Atwell (18 points) made two free throws with two minutes, 48 seconds left in the game, Providence Day held its largest lead, 58-45.
But Swartz hit consecutive 3’s before Atwell broke the momentum with a three-point play for a 61-51 Chargers’ advantage. Cannon School got no closer than 64-60 when Karon Boyd made the last of his six fourth-quarter free throws with 25 seconds left.
The game ended vastly different from how it started for Cannon School.
Inside the game’s first three minutes, senior forward D.J. Nix helped the Cougars score the first 10 points with a short hook from the low block and a 3-pointer with a hand in his face from the left corner.
The Chargers, meanwhile, missed their first five shots – all from beyond the arc. Swartz’ first 3-pointer gave Cannon School its largest lead, 13-1, just beyond the first period’s four-minute mark.
But Providence Day settled into a rhythm over the remaining 12 minutes of the first half, especially in the second quarter. Senior point guard Quave Propst-Allison, who was the South Piedmont 3A Conference’s Player of the Year as a Cox Mill sophomore in 2019-20, scored nine of his team-high 20 points as the Chargers took a 25-23 lead to halftime.
Playing in front of many of his Cabarrus County family members, Propst-Allison had four assists and perhaps lulled Cannon School’s defense into believing he wasn’t much of an outside scoring threat. Of his three 3-pointers, including two in the second quarter, he was wide open on every one of them.
“At the beginning of the game, I started off with a little hesitation,” said Propst-Allison, who is the son of former A.L. Brown star athlete and NFL player Aundrae Allison.
“I wanted to just be more of a point guard and control the game and get my teammates open,” Propst-Allison continued. “But once I realized how the defense was playing me, my coach pulled me over. He trusts me, so he said they were backing off and to just shoot the ball … I just trusted my instincts.”
Providence Day’s first-year coach is Ron Johnson, who won a state championship during a four-year stint at Cannon School in the early 2000s. He too was glad to see some old friends in his first return to the school since 2008.
Boyd, one of Propst-Allison’s former Cox Mill teammates, played splendidly with a game-high 14 rebounds and scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second half. The super senior Nix led Cannon School with 22 points on four 3-pointers.
Six-foot, 10-inch center Riley Allenspach and Atwell took over in the second half for Providence Day. Allenspach’s teammates constantly fed him in the low block, where he scored most of his 20 points.
Allenspach had a team-high eight rebounds. Atwell was his outside counterpart, hitting three 3-pointers on his way to an 18-point night.
SCORING SUMMARY
Providence Day 7 18 24 18 -- 67
Cannon 15 8 16 21 -- 60
PROVIDENCE DAY – Quave Propst-Allison 20, Donovan Atwell 18, Scott 5, Riley Allenspach 20, Horton 4.
CANNON SCHOOL – Austin Swartz 14, Claggett 3, Henry 2, D.J. Nix 22, Karon Boyd 14, Hagedorn 5.
