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She was left frustrated and searching for answers yet again in the first round of the Central Piedmont Conference Tournament here last week, when fourth-seeded Davie let a golden opportunity for the first winning streak of the season slip away in a 51-46 loss to No. 5 East Rowan.
The War Eagles (10-15) led 42-35 with 5:13 remaining. The lead frittered away because Davie converted two field goals in the final five minutes and because East nailed 11 of 12 free throws in the same span.
“We had them on the ropes and let it slip away,” Evans said. “We couldn’t execute good enough at the end. We had chances at the free-throw line.”
The game was a repeat of three days earlier, only the roles were reversed. In the regular-season finale at Davie, the War Eagles wiped out a 10-point deficit in the fourth as Meisha Fowler poured in 14 of her 23 points during a 27-10 run that translated into a 59-52 victory.
That collapse gnawed at the Mustangs (11-14) all weekend. They didn’t have to wait long for a chance at payback. In the end it was all Haley Miller and Ashley Collins. Miller (14 points, including eight in the fourth) hit big outside shots, and Collins (16 points, including eight in the fourth) went eight of eight at the line in the final 5:07.
For the game East was 19 of 22 at the line. Free-throw shooting has been a deficiency for Davie most of the year, and it went eight of 17 - the 10th time it has converted 50 percent or less.
“Last time we played Davie we just flaked at the end,” East coach Karen Garmon said. “We really fell apart. Today we watched the film and talked about finishing strong. They kept their composure and did that. Their look tonight was totally different from their look Friday ... subscribe to the Davie County Enterprise Record, P.O. Box 99, Mocksville, N.C. 27028.