Basketball Recap: Jkhai Mcmanus-Wade's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Berry over South Mecklenburg

Berry was the 62-57 winner over South Mecklenburg when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. The contest between the Berry Cardinals and the South Mecklenburg Sabres didn't end well, with the Berry Cardinals falling 74-59. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 241st, while the Sabres are ranked 108th).

Jkhai McManus-Wade

Points

02/20/25 vs South Mecklenburg	16
02/18/25 @ Ardrey Kell	17
02/14/25 vs Olympic	16
02/11/25 vs Myers Park	35
02/04/25 vs Ballantyne Ridge	18
+ 2 more games

Berry lost on Thursday despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Jkhai McManus-Wade, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The game was his seventh in a row with at least 16 points. Marcus Goodman was another key player, going 6-for-10 en route to 15 points.

South Mecklenburg's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jim Gatehouse, who went 8-for-10 to rack up 18 points and three steals. What's more, Gatehouse also posted an 80% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's achieved since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ben Houpt, who went 5-for-9 on his way to 15 points along with eight assists and six boards.

Berry's defeat dropped their record down to 10-16. As for South Mecklenburg, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 16-10 record this season.

Berry does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for South Mecklenburg, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 57-49 win against Myers Park on the 21st.