Basketball Recap: Kellen Smith's Big Game Can't Quite Lead South Johnston over Cleveland

South Johnston lost against Cleveland back in November of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Saturday. The South Johnston Trojans'2024 ended with a 64-48 loss against the Cleveland Rams. While losing is never fun, the Trojans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 277th, while the Rams are ranked 71st).

South Johnston's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kellen Smith, who posted nine points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cole Norris, who went 5 for 11 on his way to 13 points and six rebounds.

Cleveland's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from James Harris, who earned 18 points and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Rodney Poston, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 assists.

South Johnston's loss dropped their record down to 6-5. As for Cleveland, the win was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-1.

South Johnston didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 60-32 defeat against C.B. Aycock on the 7th. As for Cleveland, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 75-40 victory against Corinth Holders on the 3rd.