The East Laurens Falcons will challenge the Northeast Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. East Laurens has insisted on making their lastthree contests complete nail-biters, turning in a record of 1-2 during that stretch of close contests.
Last Saturday, it was close, but East Laurens ultimately received the gift of a 57-55 win from a begrudging Falcons squad. The victory almost wasn't to be: they were down 41-22 in the second quarter.
| 12/21/24 @ North Oconee | 21 |
| 12/14/24 @ Calvary Day | 16 |
| 12/11/24 vs Academy for Classical Education | 20 |
| 12/10/24 @ Southwest | 18 |
East Laurens' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mckayela Tanner led the charge by going 5 of 12 on her way to 21 points. Tanner's afternoon made it four games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayla Givens, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Northeast over Clinch County in every quarter on their way to victory on Monday. Everything went Northeast's way against Clinch County as Northeast made off with a 65-45 win. The Raiders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matches by 20 points or more this season.
East Laurens better keep an eye on Jada Smith. She was instrumental in Northeast's win, dropping a double-double on 29 points and 17 rebounds. Smith is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Alayla Hooks was another key player, going 8 for 14 on her way to 21 points and five steals.
Northeast smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
East Laurens now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Northeast, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: East Laurens has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Northeast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
East Laurens beat Northeast 52-39 in their previous meeting back in February of 2021. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Northeast's Jakia Little, who went 10 of 18 on her way to 24 points in addition to eight boards and eight steals. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for East Laurens to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
