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By GENE MOTLEY

Sports Correspondent

HOBGOOD – Senior Conner Ferebee scored a career-high 25 points as Lawrence Academy made it a season-sweep of Hobgood Charter School here Friday night with a 66-37 win.

It was the Warriors’ fifth straight win, upping their record on the young season to 7-1. Earlier (Nov. 28) they downed Hobgood in Merry Hill 82-49.

Led by Ferebee, LAW roared out of the gate from the opening tip and never looked back from there. Ferebee was fouled on his first jump shot of the game and the free throw after the make put the Warriors on the board first, 3-0.

Other than a Mike Lee lay-up and a Mari Larry three-pointer, the rest of the first quarter belonged to Ferebee as he scored on breakaway layups off turnovers, bombed away with a three-pointer and accounted for 10 of the first 12 Lawrence points. The effort staked the Green-and-Gold to a 12-2 lead.

Hobgood’s Ed Melendez managed to halve the Warrior lead down to 12-6 with a pair of buckets midway through the frame; but, Larry’s triple and another easy lay-up for Ferebee put Lawrence back on top by 11, 17-6.

The Raiders closed out the first period on a 5-2 run, all their points coming from the free-throw line, to trail 19-13 headed to the second quarter.

Lawrence coach Jon Powell turned up his defense in the second quarter. After a pair of foul shots and a three pointer, Melendez got a lay-up, but it would be Hobgood’s only points for the next six minutes. Lawrence closed out the half making seven of eight from the free throw line coupled with Mike Lee, Luke Foster, and Carter Hoggard field goals while surrendering just a late jump shot from Melendez. It allowed the Warriors to cruise into halftime with a 39-17 edge.

Powell played mostly his reserves in the third quarter, but the young Warriors accounted themselves well as Hoggard, Foster, and Boyd Swain joined Ferebee (who added four more) as part of a 10-point outing. This led to a 49-28 bulge for the visitors headed into the final frame.

With the starters back to open the fourth, Lawrence opened the period on a 10-0 run. Mike Wiggins drained a pair of three-pointers and as he made 1-of-2 free throws at the 4:32 mark, Ferebee set his new career scoring high. Hobgood closed out the game outscoring the Warriors 9-to-6, though the outcome was far from in doubt.

Lawrence’s last game of the calendar year was in Merry Hill on Tuesday (Dec. 19) against Crossroads Christian, the only team to have beaten the Warriors (81-65) back on Nov. 30 in Henderson. They will open Tarheel Independent Conference play Jan. 3 at Northeast Academy.

Hobgood fell to 4-3 overall with the loss.

Lawrence Academy (66)

Conner Ferebee – 25, Mike Lee – 11, Nike Wiggins – 9, Luke Foster – 6, Mari Larry – 6, Carter Hoggard – 6, Patrick Lundy – 2, Boyd Swain – 1

Hobgood Academy (37)

Edward Melendez – 16, Khrie Rascoe – 7, Conner Roberson – 4, Landon Davis – 4, Parker Cale – 2, Jacob Elkins – 2 Jameson Moore – 2.