Basketball Game Preview: North Johnston Panthers vs. Franklin Academy Patriots

The North Johnston Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Franklin Academy Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. North Johnston is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.

North Johnston lost 64-41 to Spring Creek on Thursday.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Franklin Academy on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew East Wake Academy out of the water with a 68-32 final score. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 22 points or more this season.

Franklin Academy's win came from a few key players North Johnston will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Micah Rutledge, who posted eight points along with 13 boards and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayes Lewis, who put up 14 points.

The win made it two in a row for Franklin Academy and bumps their season record up to 10-5. As for North Johnston, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.

North Johnston was taken down by Franklin Academy 72-35 when the teams last played last Friday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Lewis, who went 9 of 13 on his way to 24 points and five rebounds. Now that North Johnston knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.