The Lincolnton Wolves will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Stuart W. Cramer Storm at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lincolnton has six straight wins, Stuart W. Cramer has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Lincolnton against Newton-Conover as the team secured an 81-43 victory. The Wolves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matches by 22 points or more this season.
| 12/20/24 @ Newton-Conover | 23 |
| 12/14/24 vs East Rutherford | 39 |
| 12/13/24 @ Bunker Hill | 29 |
| 12/10/24 vs Shelby | 40 |
| 12/07/24 vs East Lincoln | 37 |
Lincolnton's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from LJ Smith IV, who went 8 of 18 on his way to 23 points in addition to five boards and three steals. Smith IV's evening made it eight games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cam Smith, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Stuart W. Cramer played a tough contest on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting Kings Mountain an easy 70-45 win. The Storm were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-9.
Despite the loss, Stuart W. Cramer saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Gavin Jordan posted ten points and five assists. Those five assists set a new season-high mark for Jordan. Another player making a difference was Makhi Brown, who had six points and five rebounds.
Lincolnton pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. As for Stuart W. Cramer, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lincolnton has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 36.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Stuart W. Cramer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Lincolnton against Stuart W. Cramer in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as the squad secured a 93-51 win. Will Lincolnton repeat their success, or does Stuart W. Cramer have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
