Basketball Game Preview: Oakleaf Knights vs. Rickards Raiders

Two dominant guards in Roslyn Weston and Genesis Henry are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Oakleaf Knights and the Rickards Raiders will compete for holiday cheer at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Oakleaf is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Leon 65-27 on Friday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Knights as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Rickards put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They managed a 58-52 victory over Williston.

Rickards' win came from a few key players Oakleaf will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Henry, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten boards. Henry is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Jariyah Jordan, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Rickards smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive matches.

Oakleaf's win bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Rickards, they pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.

Oakleaf came up short against Rickards in their previous meeting back in December of 2014, falling 56-51. Can Oakleaf avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.