After suffering a heartbreaking loss three days before at West Montgomery that would have given the North Moore girls’ basketball team a shot at third place in the Yadkin Valley Conference final standings, they had to deal with North Rowan in a battle for fourth place.

Hosting the Lady Cavaliers in their final regular-season game, the Lady Mustangs held off a late North Rowan charge for a 60-54 victory. The victory gives North Moore fourth place for the conference tournament that is scheduled to start Monday with the Mustangs hosting North Rowan in a rematch at 6 p.m.

North Moore finishes the regular season with a 10-6 league record and 13-10 overall, while North Rowan takes fifth place in the conference with a 9-7 conference record and 9-12 overall. The winner of the first-round game plays Wednesday at East Montgomery in the tournament semifinals with the championship slated for Friday at East.

Don’t blame the Mustang faithful if they might have had that deja vu feeling during Friday’s game at Robbins. In the first meeting between these two squads, North Moore held an 18-point lead during the third period and ended up losing to the Cavaliers.

After clinging to an 11-9 first-quarter lead, the Mustangs, behind a balanced scoring attack featuring Tyisha Horn, Shakorya Brower and Ashley Giles, moved to a 33-22 halftime lead. Brower once again finished with a double-double with 11 rebounds and 12 points. She had seven points during the second quarter while Horn and Gies added five points each.

North Moore continued to build on its lead in the third period after Heather Dunmyer connected on a trey and Horn scored on putback, the Mustangs had a 43-24 lead with 3:49 left in the quarter.

After that the Cavaliers went on a scoring surge of their own, outscoring North Moore 19-2 over the final minutes of the third quarter and the early minutes of the fourth period, trimming the Mustangs’ lead to 45-43 with 4:28 left in the contest.

The Mustangs were able to hold off the Cavaliers over the remainder of the game, converting nine of 13 foul shots, with Jessie Sheffield going six for six from the charity stripe for the 60-54 victory.

“We knew what they would throw at us after the first game,” said North Moore coach Sammy McNeill. “I told our girls at halftime we’ve seen everything they would try to do and there would be nothing new and just go out and play your game. We really wanted to win so we could play the first-round tournament game at home.

“After the first round and everyone plays at East, we’re all on a level playing field. I really like our chances and I think other teams are seeing we’re coming together.”

The Mustangs celebrated senior night with six seniors being honored — Brower, Giles, Holly Green, Cadie Lowe, Kayla McNeill and Julie Williams.

Picking up her third straight double-double along with Brower was Tiosha McCaskill, who finished with 13 points and 11 boards. Sheffield added 11 points for the Mustangs.

North Rowan 9 13 12 20 — 54

North Moore 11 22 12 15 — 60

North Rowan: Teaunna Cuthbertson 5 2-3 13; Sabrina Vann 4 3-8 11; Anna Lingle 4 1-2 9; Tiffany Brown 4 0-0 8; Taylor Sells 2 0-0 6; Demeria Robinson 1 0-2 3; Ronesha Bradley 0 1-3 1; Amber Carter 0 1-2 1. Totals 20 8-20 54 3 pt. goals 4 (Sells 2, Cuthbertson 1, Robinson 1).

North Moore: Tiosha McCaskill 5 3-5 13; Shakorya Brower 4 4-9 12; Jessie Sheffield 2 6-6 11; Tyisha Horn 4 1-4 9; Heather Dunmyer 2 0-0 6; Ashley Giles 2 1-2 5; Cadie Lowe 1 2-2 4. Totals 20 17-28 60.

Three-point goals: NR 4 (Sells 2, Cuthbertson, Robinson; NM 3 (Dunmyer 2, Sheffield).