Preview: Rocky Mount Gryphons vs. Franklinton Rams
After two games on the road, Rocky Mount is heading back home. They will take on the Franklinton Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Rocky Mount struggled with threes on Friday (Northern Nash had 11 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Rocky Mount had to suffer through a rough 88-54 loss at the hands of Northern Nash. Rocky Mount was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 47-25.
Anthony Jones put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 24 points and 12 rebounds. He hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for 15 straight games. Another player making a difference was Gerald Davis, who scored 13 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Franklinton lost to Southern Nash on the road by a decisive 70-52 margin on Friday.
Despite the defeat, Franklinton had strong showings from Markelle Massenburg, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Sean Smith, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds. Darius Slankard was another key contributor, scoring five points along with two steals.
Rocky Mount's loss dropped their record down to 6-13. As for Franklinton, they dropped their record down to 9-13 with that loss, which was their fifth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rocky Mount have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Franklinton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rocky Mount came up short against Franklinton when the teams last played on Tuesday, falling 51-46. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Massenburg, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and ten rebounds. Now that Rocky Mount knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
