Preview: Southampton Academy Raiders vs. Kenston Forest Kavaliers
Southampton Academy is 2-8 against Kenston Forest since February of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Southampton Academy Raiders will head out on the road to square off against the Kenston Forest Kavaliers at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Southampton Academy entered their tilt with Amelia Academy with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. Southampton Academy breezed by Amelia Academy on the road to the tune of 50-20 on Friday.
Southampton Academy found their leader in underclassman G Applewhite, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds. Applewhite has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last 20 times he's played. J Holland was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Kenston Forest can now show off 11 landslide victories after their most recent contest on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 89-69 margin over Brunswick Academy. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Dayton Williams Jr and Anderson Allen were among the main playmakers for Kenston Forest as the former dropped a triple-double on 20 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists and the latter scored 24 points along with five assists and five steals. It was the first time this season that Williams Jr posted eight or more assists. Another player making a difference was Ben Hite, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds.
Southampton Academy's win bumped their record up to 10-11. As for Kenston Forest, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Southampton Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Kenston Forest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Southampton Academy was dealt a bruising 89-54 defeat at the hands of Kenston Forest in their previous meeting back in January. Can Southampton Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
