Hickory High’s boys basketball team made its way back to the championship game of the Catawba Valley Classic by knocking off St. Stephens 52-45 in the semifinals Friday night. The Red Tornadoes, who are looking for their 12th

championship in this tournament, also handed St. Stephens (10-1) its first loss of the year.
Hickory (8-2) will face No. 5 Newton-Conover (3-6) at 8:30 p.m. tonight at CVCC. The Red Devils upset top-seeded Fred T. Foard 55-42 in Friday's other semifinal game to reach the finals. Davonte Fuller led the Red Tornadoes with 17 points; Zach Jarrett had 12. Kerrigan Farley led St. Stephens with 11 points.
It will be a battle of unbeaten teams in the girls title game. Hickory (10-0) takes on Alexander Central (12-0) in the championship game. Hickory reached the finals by blasting Fred T. Foard, 71-46; Alexander Central knocked off Newton-Conover, 62-55.
Erick Troutman led Hickory with 23 points; Marie Ritchie led the Cougars in their semifinal win with 25 points.

ALLEGHANY CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT

Girls: Watauga 64, Alleghany 53

COLVARD OIL HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT

Girls: Ashe County 56, Hibriten 53 (Championship Game)
Boys: Hibriten 57, Ashe County 49 (Third Place Game)

CATAWBA VALLEY CLASSIC

GIRLS AT HICKORY HIGH

Friday’s results

No. 5 Maiden 51, No. 8 Bunker Hill 38

No. 7 S. Caldwell 43, No. 6 St. Stephens 32

No. 1 Alexander Central 62, No. 4 Newton-Conover 55

No. 2 Hickory 71, No. 3 Fred T. Foard 46

Today at CVCC

No. 5 Maiden (3-5) vs. No. 7 S. Caldwell (3-5), fifth place, 1 p.m.

No. 4 Newton-Conover (4-4) vs. No. 3 Fred T. Foard (7-4), third place, 4 p.m.

No. 1 Alexander Central (12-0) vs. No. 2 Hickory (10-0), championship, 7 p.m.

BOYS AT CVCC

Friday’s results

No. 6 S. Caldwell 61, No. 7 Bunker Hill 40

No. 4 Alexander Central 43, No. 8 Maiden 22

No. 3 Hickory 52, No. 2 St. Stephens 45

No. 5 Newton-Conover 55, No. 1 Fred T. Foard 42

Today at CVCC

No. 6 S. Caldwell (3-5) vs. No. 4 Alexander Central (6-6), fifth place, 2:30 p.m.

No. 2 St. Stephens (10-1) vs. No. 1 Fred T. Foard (9-2), third place, 5:30 p.m.

No. 3 Hickory (8-2) vs. No. 5 Newton-Conover (3-6), championship, 8:30 p.m.