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In the final game of the second round of the 2024 Comets Christmas Classic, hosts North Stanly and West Stanly met in the semifinals.

The two teams played previously this season, with the Comets getting 81-69 wins both in New London and Red Cross.

The Comets opened up a big second-quarter lead and never looked back, earning a 82-48 win versus the Colts.

Jalen Walker led North (10-1) with 23 points while Jack Williamson added a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Hayden Lowder also reached double figures with 10 points.

Cooper Crisco paced West (5-7) with 10 points.

West opened by hitting a trifecta of 3-pointers to start the game, leading 9-7 with 5:32 left in the first quarter.

However, North kept the game close in the opening period and led by two points at the end of the quarter, 22-20.

The second quarter was all North as the Comets outscored West 12-2 in the frame to lead at halftime 34-22.

Luke Eddy scored a runner in the lane at the five-minute mark, then the Colts did not score the rest of the half and did not connect from the field until the first minute of the second half.

North continued to increase its advantage in the third, outscoring West 13-2 over the first four minutes of the quarter, forcing the Colts to call two timeouts. The Comets outscored West 28-8 in the frame and led after three quarters 62-30.

“We couldn’t take (West) lightly. We knew they were a good team,” Williamson said. “They played us close the second time. They were missing a few guys, and we knew that coming in, but we knew we had to come out strongly.”

Regarding the second quarter, Jalen Walker said the Comets “really went strong on defense and locked up the second quarter…that helped us keep going.”

“We played better defense in the second quarter,” North head coach George Walker said. “I thought fatigue set in for (West), playing two games in two days. They were playing six guys, and I knew depth wise we were going to wear on them.”

Coach Walker added, “We talked about in the locker room that there are no do-overs. There is no do-over for Dec. 28; we wanted today for them to be the best team they could be.”

The win gave North a rematch with the College Prep Leadership Academy Royals Monday night at 6:30. The Comets’ only loss of the season came Dec. 20 at home against the Royals, 65-57.

Regarding the chance to win the tournament North hosts, Williamson said, “Jalen and I have come up short the past two years. This is the one we want to win.”

Jalen Walker said the team’s three seniors, himself, Williamson and Gavin Helms, “are really hungry” to win the holiday tourney.