Preview: Lake Norman Wildcats vs. Alexander Central Cougars
Lake Norman is 0-6 against Alexander Central since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Lake Norman Wildcats will play host again and welcome the Alexander Central Cougars, where tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Lake Norman extended their postseason success on Friday against R.J. Reynolds. They put the hurt on the Demons with a sharp 72-46 victory. Lake Norman has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 17 matchups by 25 points or more this season.
It was another big night for Alexis Shehan, who scored 19 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. She hasn't dropped below 17 points for four straight games. Kelsey Rhyne was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Alexander Central has not done well against McDowell recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Alexander Central walked away with a 41-33 win over McDowell. That's two games straight that Alexander Central has won by exactly eight points.
Alexander Central found their leader in underclassman Meredith Wike, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kirstyn Herman, who scored five points along with ten rebounds and eight assists.
Lake Norman's victory was their 31st straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 25-2. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 36.6 points. As for Alexander Central, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 22-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lake Norman have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Alexander Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lake Norman ended up a good deal behind Alexander Central in their previous matchup back in January of 2017, losing 51-34. Thankfully for Lake Norman, Abby Cook (who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
