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Pioneers shrug off 17 turnovers to defeat South Caldwell in league opener, 51-44

Against South Caldwell on Jan. 6, Watauga point guard Maddox Greene did a masterful job of penetrating the lane, drawing a crowd of defenders and dishing the ball out to an open teammate. Photographic image by David Rogers

By David Rogers

HUDSON, N.C. — An early commanding lead in basketball means little when your opponent battles back to make a game of it. That’s why they play the whole game — and on Jan. 6, Watauga somehow managed to survive a scrappy, rallying performance by host South Caldwell to win, 51-44. It was both teams’ Northwestern Conference season opener, fittingly played with high energy in the raucous and electric Spartan gym.