Basketball Game Preview: South Lenoir Blue Devils vs. East Duplin Panthers

South Lenoir hasn't had much luck against East Duplin recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The South Lenoir Blue Devils just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the East Duplin Panthers at 5:30 p.m.

South Lenoir is headed into Thursday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Wednesday. They had to suffer through a 60-31 loss at the hands of Kinston. While losing is never fun, the Blue Devils can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 569th, while the Vikings are ranked 84th).

Meanwhile, East Duplin entered their tilt with North Lenoir on Tuesday with eight consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with nine. They blew past the Hawks 60-15. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 20 points or more this season.

East Duplin found their leader in sophomore Kinsey Cave, who went 6 of 11 on her way to 16 points and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Carrie Carr, who posted eight points and ten rebounds.

East Duplin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 45 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

East Duplin's win was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 18-2. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.5 points per game. As for South Lenoir, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-18.

South Lenoir took a serious blow against East Duplin in their previous matchup back in January, falling 53-20. Will South Lenoir have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.