Preview: Brookhaven Panthers vs. South Pike Eagles
The Brookhaven Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the South Pike Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Brookhaven is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road.
Last Tuesday, Brookhaven got the win against Crystal Springs by a conclusive 48-24.
Brookhaven's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kema Roberts, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. Roberts continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Bailee Gamble, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, South Pike beat Clinton Christian Academy 44-32 on Saturday. Given South Pike's advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 113th, while Clinton Christian Academy is ranked 323rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
South Pike can attribute much of their success to Alaysha Williams, who scored seven points along with four steals. Amira Jackson was another key contributor, scoring six points along with five rebounds.
Brookhaven is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-7 record this season. As for South Pike, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-3.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Brookhaven have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 28.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for South Pike, though, as they've been averaging only 19.4 rebounds per game. Given Brookhaven's sizeable advantage in that area, South Pike will need to find a way to close that gap.
Brookhaven ended up a good deal behind South Pike in their previous meeting back in November, losing 47-32. Can Brookhaven avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
