Basketball Game Preview: Charlottesville Black Knights vs. Salem Spartans

The Charlottesville Black Knights will take on the Salem Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Charlottesville sitting on 14 straight wins and Salem on five.

Charlottesville is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They took down Handley 56-40.

Meanwhile, everything went Salem's way against Glass on Wednesday as Salem made off with a 71-47 victory. The Spartans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 20 matchups by 23 points or more this season.

Charlottesville better keep an eye on Bailey Rider. She was instrumental in Salem's win, almost dropping a triple-double with 17 points, ten boards, and nine steals. Rider is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last seven games she's played. Another player making a difference was Gabby Crawley, who posted 13 points and six rebounds.

Salem smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Charlottesville's win was their 28th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 23-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.9 points. As for Salem, their record is now 24-2.

Charlottesville strolled past Salem in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 65-47. The rematch might be a little tougher for Charlottesville since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.