Basketball Game Preview: South Laurel Cardinals vs. Harlan Green Dragons

The South Laurel Cardinals will venture away from home to take on the Harlan Green Dragons at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

South Laurel is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Jackson County on Thursday. South Laurel put the hurt on Jackson County with a sharp 60-39 victory.

South Laurel found their leader in sophomore Maci Messer, who shot 4-for-5 from deep and dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds. Messer has become a key player for South Laurel: the team is 6-2 when she posts at least eight boards, but 1-2 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Skeeter Mabe, who went 5 of 12 on her way to 10 points along with six boards and three steals.

South Laurel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Harlan suffered their biggest loss since December 7, 2024 on Saturday. They took a blow against Knox Central, falling 90-61. The Green Dragons have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

South Laurel's win bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Harlan, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.

South Laurel came up short against Harlan when the teams last played back in March of 2017, falling 54-47. Can South Laurel avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.