WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — North Mecklenburg was right on time.

The Vikings fell behind in a big way to start the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A boys basketball championship game but chipped away — slowly then all at once, it seemed — to take a 59-56 victory over New Hanover on Saturday.

It’s the second straight title for North Mecklenburg over the Wildcats — the first 4A title match since the NCHSAA went to four classes in 1960.

New Hanover led 14-0 to start the game, scoring a whopping 31 points in the first quarter and racing out to a 41-31 lead at halftime.

“I don’t think we’ve given up 31 points in a quarter since I’ve been at North, but that was unbelievable what they did offensively,” said North Meck coach Duane Lewis. “We tightend up defensively.”

Somewhere in the second quarter, New Hanover went cold and stayed there for much of the game. After shooting 64.3 percent in the first quarter, the Wildcats shot 23.1, 18.2, and 25.0 percent in the last three quarters — and still only fell by three.

North Mecklenburg’s first lead came with 2:26 in the third quarter.

“We’ve played from behind multiple times this year,” Lewis said. “These guys are winners.”

North Mecklenburg (30-3) kept shooting at the same clip in which they had fallen behind — about 50 percent. The Vikings finished the game shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 7-of-14 from 3.

Carson Evans had 24 points (8-of-12 shooting, 4-of-5 from 3) and Chadlyn Traylor had 22 (7-of-12 shooting, four assists) for North Meck. Traylor will graduate with three state titles, having also started on a 3A champ his freshman year at West Charlotte.

Evans was the game’s Charlie Adams MVP for top performance while Traylor was named West MVP.

New Hanover (30-3) scored just four points in the third quarter and 11 in the fourth. A shot in the final seconds to tie the game was wide open, but it hit the front rim.

Rodmik Allen had 14 points to lead the Wildcats. he also had five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. He was named East MVP, part of a senior class that went 112-8 in their careers.

“(North Mecklenburg) responded to us punching them in the face,” New Hanover coach Kirk Angel said.

The showdown at Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum was also just the fifth championship rematch since 1960. The win also gives Lewis his fourth title. Since 1960, only eight coaches have four titles or more. Lewis joins Andre Gould, Dave Price, George Robinson, Harvey Reid, Larry Lindsey, Larry Williford, and Woody Huneycutt as one of them. (Coaches are not listed on the NCHSAA site with pre-1960 teams.)

On Wednesday, third-seeded North Mecklenburg defeated 13th-seeded Chambers 64-56 in the 4A West regional final while top-seeded New Hanover defeated third-seeded Sanderson 83-55 in the 4A East regional final. Those games were also at “the Joel” as part of the final four format.

Before the game, each team honored its sportsmanship award winner for the season: Cam Angel from New Hanover and Carson Evans from North Mecklenburg.

BOX SCORE

NM 18-13-12-16 59
NH 31-10-4-11 56

North Mecklenburg: Chadlyn Traylor 22, Carson Evans 24, Ashton Pierce 8, Greg Murray 1, Exzavier Young 2, Wilson Estwick 2
New Hanover: Kellum Brown 13, Zeus Batts 5, Rodmik Allen 14, C.J. Kornegay 10, Jazir Wright-McGhee 5, Nolan Billings 9