Preview: Jonesboro Cardinals vs. Alcovy Tigers
Two dominant guards in Naislyvia Pringle and Kendall Banks are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Jonesboro Cardinals will head out on the road to square off against the Alcovy Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Jonesboro can finally bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They walked away with a 39-31 victory over Mundy's Mill. The win was just what Jonesboro needed coming off of a 52-17 defeat in their prior contest.
Jonesboro found their leader in underclassman Alona Dukes, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Alcovy entered their tilt with Morrow with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. Alcovy came out on top against Morrow by a score of 55-47 on Friday.
Alcovy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Banks led the charge by scoring 20 points along with six rebounds and two blocks. Banks is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted two or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Minah Little, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Jonesboro's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-7. As for Alcovy, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-7.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's matchup: Jonesboro have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 31.6% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Alcovy, though, as they've only drained 31.4% of their threes per game this season. Given Jonesboro's sizeable advantage in that area, Alcovy will need to find a way to close that gap.
Jonesboro was able to grind out a solid win over Alcovy when the teams last played back in November of 2023, winning 62-52. The rematch might be a little tougher for Jonesboro since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
