Basketball Game Preview: Middletown Knights vs. Williamsport Wildcats

Middletown is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Monday. They will take on the Williamsport Wildcats in a holiday battle at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Friday, Middletown didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Century, but they still walked away with a 63-59 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for Middletown.

Meanwhile, Williamsport blew past Smithsburg, posting a 74-44 win. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Leopards: they've now won three in a row.

Middletown better focus on containing Jahmeir Byrd and Xavier Oree as the pair were huge in Williamsport's win. Byrd went 18-for-27 on his way to 40 points along with eight boards and five steals, while Oree almost dropped a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and 13 assists. Those 13 assists gave Oree a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Andre Tinsley, who dropped a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

Williamsport smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.

Middletown's win bumped their record up to 2-0. Williamsport has also opened the season with a perfect 2-0 record.

Middletown was able to grind out a solid victory over Williamsport in their previous matchup back in March, winning 71-64. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Byrd, who dropped a double-double with 25 points and ten boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Knights still be able to contain Byrd? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.