Life couldn’t get any better for North Davie’s boys basketball team, yet it did in a 63-46 home win over South Davie on Jan. 19.

The Wildcats (12-2) seem to make history every week. While they extended the longest winning streak in their 23-year history as a middle school, they beat county rivals South and Ellis in the same season for the first time ever. Ellis opened in 2007-08, so North turned that trick for the first time in nine years. North’s 11-game winning streak began Dec. 4.

When the teams met on Nov. 24, South (9-4) jumped to a 31-12 halftime lead and coasted to a 63-51 decision.

The first quarter ended with South ahead 8-7. North took a 19-18 lead to halftime. South coach Germain Mayfield said his Tigers were out of sync all game.

“We just stayed around in the first half,” he said.

North took the game by the throat in the third quarter. James Wilkins went off, scoring 13 points on a 3-pointer, a pair of two-point field goals and 6-of-6 free-throw shooting. Grant Copeland added five points as North unleashed a 23-10 run that created a 42-28 spread. South could not recover.

“In the third quarter, it seemed like they got a layup every time down the floor or they were shooting free throws,” Mayfield said. “We either threw it away or didn’t get anything. Then we got frustrated.”

Mayfield said a turning point was when one of his players was hit with a technical foul in the third.

“It kind of turned the game,” he said. “I think it was a six-point game at the time. We didn’t play good enough to win anyway. They deserved to win.”

North was led by – you guessed it – Wilkins, who finished with a ho-hum 24 points. His fourth 20-point outing raised his average to 17. Adrian Cranfill had 11, Aaron Williams 10, Copeland nine and Noah Bohannon six.

A key to the game: North outscored South by 12 at the foul line. While South went 5 of 9 from the stripe, North went 17 of 23. Wilkins hit 10 of 12 and Bohannon 4 of 4.

For South, the outcome overshadowed Alex Ratledge’s 21 points and Brooks Johnson’s 14. It was the third 20-point performance by Ratledge. Austin Shaver was next with five.

S. Davie 46 – Alex Ratledge 21, Brooks Johnson 14, Austin Shaver 5, Jack Reynolds 3, Evan Little 2, Matthew Daniel 1.

N. Davie 63 – James Wilkins 24, Adrian Cranfill 11, Aaron Williams 10, Grant Copeland 9, Noah Bohannon 6, J.T. Allen 2, Nate Brooks 1.