Preview: Lakeside Knights vs. Rock Hills Grizzlies
Lakeside is 9-1 against the Grizzlies since February of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Lakeside Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Rock Hills Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. Lakeside is no doubt hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.
Last Friday, Lakeside came up short against the Bulldogs and fell 59-50. Lakeside has not had much luck with the Bulldogs recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Ian Kresin, who scored 15 points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Jace Cunningham, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds.
Lakeside struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Rock Hills also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to the Mustangs by a score of 45-36.
The losing side was boosted by Cooper McDill, who scored 22 points along with three steals and two blocks. That was a full 61.1% of Rock Hills' points, marking the eighth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Justin Luong, who scored eight points.
Lakeside has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season. Rock Hills' record now sits at 3-9.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lakeside have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Rock Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lakeside beat the Grizzlies 65-58 in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was McDill, who scored 27 points along with six assists and five rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Lakeside still be able to contain McDill? There's only one way to find out.
