Basketball Game Preview: Green Level Gators vs. Cleveland Rams

The Green Level Gators will square off against the Cleveland Rams at 12:00 p.m. on Monday. Green Level is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.5 points per game this season.

Green Level is headed into the game having just posted their closest win since December 29, 2023 on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Middle Creek, sneaking past 41-38. Given the Gators' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 158th, while the Mustangs are ranked 324th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Green Level got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Stella Eckhart out in front who posted five points along with 14 steals and six boards. The dominant performance gave Eckhart a new career-high in steals. Claire Barber was another key player, putting up 19 points and seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, Cleveland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They took a 51-41 hit to the loss column at the hands of South Garner.

Green Level will need focus on slowing down Martina Paz-Aquino, one of several Cleveland players who made an impact when they last played. She earned five points in addition to seven boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Morgan, who scored five points.

Green Level's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-5. As for Cleveland, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Green Level has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.