Preview: Arcadia Firebirds vs. Amelia County Raiders
The Arcadia Firebirds will head out on the road to take on the Amelia County Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Arcadia's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Friday after their third straight defeat. They took a serious blow against Cambridge-South Dorchester, falling 73-44. While losing is never fun, Arcadia can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 222nd in Virginia, while Cambridge-South Dorchester is ranked 74th in Maryland).
Despite the defeat, Arcadia had strong showings from RonRico Bugg, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds, and Jordan Cropper, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Brandon Harmon, who scored eight points.
Arcadia 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.
Meanwhile, Amelia County and Buckingham squared off in some playoff action on Saturday, but sadly Amelia County had to settle for second. They took a 63-57 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Knights. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Defeat or not, Amelia County got some senior leadership from JAIDEN SQUIRE and JUSTIN PERRY. SQUIRE scored 21 points along with four steals and two blocks, while PERRY. dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. PERRY is crushing the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. ANTHONY HARRIS was another key contributor, scoring four points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Arcadia's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-10. As for Amelia County, their loss dropped their record down to 15-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Arcadia have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Amelia County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Arcadia came up short against Amelia County in their previous matchup back in February of 2022, falling 61-55. Can Arcadia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
