East Mecklenburg hasn't had much luck against Butler recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The East Mecklenburg Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Butler Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
East Mecklenburg saw some tournament action on Monday. They took down Parkwood 51-37.
| 12/30/24 vs Parkwood | 30 |
| 12/03/24 vs Sun Valley | 18 |
| 12/05/23 vs Piedmont | 18 |
| 12/04/24 vs Porter Ridge | 17 |
| 01/19/24 @ Providence | 15 |
Mackenna Weisner went supernova for East Mecklenburg, going 8 for 18 on her way to 30 points. Those 30 points gave Weisner a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Stallings, who posted three points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals.
East Mecklenburg smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, everything went Butler's way against The Burlington School last Monday as Butler made off with a 46-24 victory. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 22 points or more this season.
East Mecklenburg better keep an eye on Brooklyn Saunders. She was instrumental in Butler's win, going 5 of 11 on her way to 15 points along with seven assists and five steals. The match was Saunders' fifth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah Moss, who had eight points and five steals.
East Mecklenburg's win bumped their record up to 3-9. As for Butler, their victory bumped their record up to 10-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: East Mecklenburg has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Butler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
East Mecklenburg might still be hurting after the 64-41 loss they got from Butler in their previous meeting back in February. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Saunders, who posted 18 points in addition to seven steals and six assists. Now that East Mecklenburg knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
