The South Iredell Vikings and the West Iredell Warriors will round out the year against one another at at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, South Iredell turned things around against East Rowan on Friday. They came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 60-47. That looming 60-47 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Vikings yet this season.
Kobe Richardson
| 12/20/24 vs East Rowan | 21 |
| 12/12/23 @ North Lincoln | 17 |
| 12/04/24 @ Alexander Central | 17 |
| 12/06/24 @ West Iredell | 13 |
| 11/26/24 vs North Lincoln | 13 |
South Iredell can attribute much of their success to Kobe Richardson, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 21 points and eight rebounds, and Zy'Mir Clark, who posted ten points in addition to five assists and three steals. That's the most points Richardson has posted since back in January. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyrin Mann, who put up eight points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, West Iredell waltzed into their matchup on Friday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They walked away with a 65-55 win over the Indians. While the Warriors didn't have the best season last year (they finished 2-22), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
South Iredell better keep an eye on Jordan Patterson. He was instrumental in West Iredell's win, dropping a double-double on 33 points and 12 boards. The contest was Patterson's eighth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Chris Turner, who posted eight points and nine boards.
West Iredell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive games.
South Iredell's victory bumped their record up to 3-7. As for West Iredell, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: South Iredell has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Iredell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
South Iredell came up short against West Iredell when the teams last played on December 6th, falling 59-52. Can South Iredell avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
