Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville NC, (WNN) - Both games this week were at home for the Lady Ironmen and Ironmen basketball teams. Each game found Cherryville hosting rivals, first up was county rival Bessemer City, and the second was with nearby West Lincoln. The men’s team was able to secure its first conference win of the season as well.
Lady Ironmen: After Saniyah Moore’s layup put the Lady Jackets on the board first, the beginning of the game through mid-first quarter was a fierce defensive battle. Bessemer City then went on a 15-2 run and took control of the game. The Lady Ironmen were once again without a few players and had trouble keeping up with The Lady Jackets’ fast tempo. They opened a big lead at the half, and with the aid of the running clock, the second half was all Bessemer City. Cherryville would fall 56-14 to the Lady Yellow Jackets. Kate Bookout was the leading scorer for the Lady Ironmen with 7 points. Four players scored double figures for Bessemer City. Saniyah Moore had 19 points and 6 assists, Marissa Kiser added 13 points and 6 rebounds, while Addy Moorehead and Izzy Esamirosa each scored 11 points. Bessmer City improved to 6-8 and 3-4 as Cherryville dropped to 2-12 and 0-8.
Ironmen: The game had a unique beginning. After the jump ball was tipped to Bessemer City, it appeared Jonathan Black had scored for the Yellow Jackets; however, he had scored on the Cherryville basket. The officials conferred and determined that each center had been facing the wrong direction, which had created confusion. The game was restarted. Darius Pullen scored the first points of the game, followed by a layup from Paxton Pruett. Another Cherryville basket was then scored, and Cherryville was off to a fast 6-0 lead, forcing an early timeout for the Jackets. Bessemer City went to a full-court press and the trap, and Darius Pullen got into early foul trouble, creating several takeaways. They continued with a suffocating defense that led Cherryville 34-19 at halftime. The second half was very physical, with a true rivalry-style of play. The Ironmen kept fighting and gained some momentum as Colton Robinson drained a three-pointer as the third-period buzzer sounded. The Yellow Jacket lead was too much to overcome, and Bessemer City would win the contest 76-44. Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets was Tristen Gordon with 18 points, Jonathan Black contributed 14, followed by Raheem McClure with 11 points. The win improves Bessmer City to 8-6 overall and 6-1 in the conference. For the Ironmen, Darius Pullen barely missed a double-double, scoring 9 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Elijah Proctor was next with 7 points. Foul trouble allowed several players to get extended playing time off the bench. Colton Robinson, Korey Makupson, Narian Hopper, and Chandler Wooten all had good minutes and made key contributions. Cherryville fell to 3-11 overall and 0-8 in the conference.
Lady Ironmen: Cherryville entered the night extremely short-handed, with only six players dressed out. Kate Bookout, Cayleigh Sloan, Aaliyah Lynch, Jenny Brown, Jenna Anthony, and Morgan Wray were tasked with carrying the load for the Lady Ironmen. The Lady Rebels have their full 16-player roster available. Abree Sutton put them on the board first, and most of the quarter was a defensive battle until the Lady Ironmen began to get into some foul trouble, which, with only six players, forced them to be less aggressive, allowing West Lincoln to build a 34-5 halftime lead. The Lady Rebels stayed fresh by frequently rotating players, while Cherryville could substitute only one player at a time. Although they gave their all, playing an entire game with only one sub was just too difficult as West Lincoln cruised to a 54-18 victory. They improved their overall record to 7-9 and their conference record to 4-4. The Lady Rebels got 12 points from Madison Parks, and Kayla Robinson added 10 points. The Lady Ironmen dropped to 2-13 overall and 0-9 in the conference. Jenny Brown was the leading scorer for Cherryville with 9 points, Kate Bookout added 8, and Morgan Wray scored 1 point.
Ironmen: A near-capacity crowd packed Nixon Gym to witness the rematch between West Lincoln and Cherryville. The Rebels won the first matchup in a thriller on December 2, 2025. This game was even more action-packed than the first meeting. Mason Bourguardez gave West Lincoln the first goal of the game, but the game quickly became a back-and-forth affair. The Ironmen went on a run and led by as much as 7 points in the first quarter. After one period, Cherryville led 22-21. Paxton Pruett had gotten off to an incredible start with two long three-pointers, a jumper, and great defense until the 6:45 mark of the second. Fighting for a rebound, he injured his hand, appearing to have broken his pinky finger. He would leave the game in street clothes, heading to the hospital. It was later determined he had only dislocated the finger, no broken bones. He is expected back next week. The injury bug struck again two minutes later when Chandler Wooten went down hard as he rolled his ankle. He returned to the bench after a brief visit to the locker room. Although two key players were missing, Cherryville would lead by as much as 9 points before having the halftime lead of 41-34. Chandler Wooten would return to the lineup shortly after the third quarter began. Both teams played aggressive defense and put forth great hustle. West Lincoln would fight back and reclaim the lead with 1:30 left in the third quarter. As the 3rd quarter buzzer sounded, Cole Kelly drained a long three-pointer to give the Ironmen a 63-60 lead. Darius Pullen was having a great defensive game, but got into foul trouble and missed much of the second portion of the final quarter. The game continued back and forth until Cherryville went on a big run and pulled out to a 12-point lead. This would be the Ironmen’s first conference win of the 2025-2026 season as they defeated West Lincoln 87-75. Cherryville improved its overall record to 4-11 and its conference record to 1-8. The 87 points are the highest offensive output of the season for CHS. Cole Kelly was the leading scorer with 22 points, and Talon Dalton and Darius Pullen each scored 17 points. The Rebels’ attack was led by Mason Bourquardez’s 20 points, followed by Landyn Ford with 19 points, as Landon Blevins added 12 and Kaeden Steele rounded out the scoring with 11 points.
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Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
Ironmen vs. Bessemer City | January 13th, 2026
The Lady Ironmen and Ironmen will continue conference play as they travel to Lincolnton to take on the Wolves on Tuesday, January 20, and then return home on Friday, January 23, to play host to East Gaston.
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