Basketball Game Preview: Swain County Maroon Devils vs. Cherokee Braves

Swain County is 0-10 against Cherokee since January of 2021 but things could change on Thursday. The Swain County Maroon Devils are taking a road trip to square off against the Cherokee Braves at 6:00 p.m.

Swain County is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Tuesday. They took a 58-41 bruising from Andrews.

Meanwhile, Cherokee entered their tilt with Robbinsville on Tuesday with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. They breezed past the Black Knights to the tune of 77-40. Given the Braves' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 21st, while the Black Knights are ranked 240th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Cherokee's win came from a few key players Swain County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cecily 'Dvdaya' Swimmer, who went 8-for-12 en route to 16 points and four steals. She has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 11 times she's played. Aaliyah Rogers was another key player, going 6-for-10 to rack up 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals.

Cherokee smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in five consecutive matches.

Cherokee pushed their record up to 19-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.2 points over those games. As for Swain County, their loss dropped their record down to 4-16.

Swain County took a serious blow against Cherokee when the teams last played last Tuesday, falling 112-23. Can Swain County avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.