Preview: Enloe Eagles vs. Athens Drive Jaguars
After five games on the road, Enloe is heading back home. They will take on the Athens Drive Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Saturday, Enloe opened the new year with a less-than-successful 55-47 loss to Southeast Raleigh. While losing is never fun, Enloe can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 233rd, while Southeast Raleigh is ranked 101st).
Enloe's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Zarion Hobbs, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals, and Gift Moses who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds and four blocks. Gianni McIntire was another key contributor, scoring three points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Athens Drive's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their sixth straight loss. They ended up on the wrong side of a rough 57-32 walloping at the hands of Sanderson. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Athens Drive has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Athens Drive had strong showings from Marcus Green, who scored nine points along with five rebounds, and Derek Crumpton, who scored six points.
Athens Drive struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Enloe has been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last seven contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-11 record this season. As for Athens Drive, they bumped their record down to 4-10 with that loss, which was their fourth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Enloe have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Athens Drive struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 27.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Enloe came out on top in a nail-biter against Athens Drive when the teams last played back in January of 2023, sneaking past 69-67. Will Enloe repeat their success, or does Athens Drive have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
