The Roanoke Rapids Yellowjackets will challenge the Bunn Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Roanoke Rapids is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.5 points per game this season.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Roanoke Rapids turned things around against Southeast Halifax on Thursday. They walked away with a 51-39 win over the Trojans.
Bobby Hawkins Jr. had an outrageously good game as he dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten boards. He is becoming a predictor of Roanoke Rapids' success: when he posts at least ten boards the team is 5-2 (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Quentez Richardson, who posted 12 points and five assists.
Meanwhile, Bunn suffered their closest defeat since February 13, 2024 on Wednesday. They fell just short of Southern Nash by a score of 43-40.
Roanoke Rapids will have to keep a close watch on Josiah Rice and DJ Smith, a pair of players who had a big impact on Bunn's prior game. Rice had 13 points and three steals, while Smith earned 12 points and five steals. Smith is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last eight games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaac Bailey, who posted four points and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Bunn smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.
Bunn has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.7 points per game. As for Roanoke Rapids, their victory bumped their record up to 7-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Roanoke Rapids has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bunn struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Roanoke Rapids was able to grind out a solid win over Bunn in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, winning 62-53. The rematch might be a little tougher for Roanoke Rapids since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
