Basketball Game Preview: Ardrey Kell Knights vs. Berry Cardinals

Ardrey Kell is 10-0 against Berry since February of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Ardrey Kell Knights will look to defend their home court against the Berry Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Berry will be up against a hot Ardrey Kell squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. Ardrey Kell simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Ballantyne Ridge 74-44. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 20 points or more this season.

Ardrey Kell had a senior duo take command as Brett Freeman went 8 for 17 on his way to 21 points and six boards and Bryceton Thomas posted ten points along with eight rebounds and six assists. The contest was Freeman's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew Craft, who put up 11 points.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Berry ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They snuck past South Mecklenburg with a 62-57 victory. The win was all the more spectacular given the Cardinals' disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 309th, while the Sabres are ranked 100th).

Ardrey Kell pushed their record up to 16-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.5 points per game. As for Berry, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-13.

Ardrey Kell skirted past Berry 64-62 in their previous matchup on January 3rd. Will Ardrey Kell repeat their success, or does Berry have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.