Basketball Game Preview: South Rowan Raiders vs. Lake Norman Charter Knights

South Rowan is 0-6 against Lake Norman Charter since January of 2022 but things could change on Tuesday. The South Rowan Raiders will square off against the Lake Norman Charter Knights at 7:30 p.m.

Last Thursday, South Rowan was beaten by Carson 81-21. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 651st, while the Cougars are ranked 238th).

Meanwhile, Lake Norman Charter can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They strolled past East Rowan with points to spare, taking the game 69-50. That 19 point margin sets a new team best for the Knights this season.

Lake Norman Charter's win came from a few key players South Rowan will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Langston Holder, who went 5 of 9 on his way to 17 points. He has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Braden Wilkie, who went 6 for 12 en route to 19 points.

Lake Norman Charter smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.

South Rowan's defeat dropped their record down to 1-13. As for Lake Norman Charter, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-8.

South Rowan was taken down by Lake Norman Charter 75-48 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Thankfully for South Rowan, Christian Virgilio (who went 8 of 13 on his way to 22 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.