Preview: Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls vs. Porter Ridge Pirates
Hickory Ridge is 10-0 against Porter Ridge since February of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls will be playing at home against the Porter Ridge Pirates at 6:00 p.m. Hickory Ridge will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Last Saturday, Hickory Ridge was able to grind out a solid win over Northwest Cabarrus, taking the game 45-37.
Hickory Ridge got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Sheree Gidney out in front who scored 17 points along with 7 rebounds. The game was Gidney's third in a row with at least ten points. Ma-kaela Gidney was another key contributor, scoring 10 points.
Meanwhile, Porter Ridge was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 53-48 to Ardrey Kell. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Porter Ridge in their matchups with Ardrey Kell: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite their defeat, Porter Ridge saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Miley Malcolm, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 12 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Anna Scaldara, who dropped a double-double on 10 points and 16 rebounds.
Hickory Ridge's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.3 points per game. As for Porter Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-3.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's game: Hickory Ridge have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 4 threes per game. It's a different story for Porter Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 5 per game. Given Hickory Ridge's sizeable advantage in that area, Porter Ridge will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Everything came up roses for Hickory Ridge against Porter Ridge in their previous matchup back in November of 2022 as the team secured a 77-31 victory. Will Hickory Ridge repeat their success, or does Porter Ridge have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
