Basketball Game Preview: Latta Vikings vs. Lake View Wild Gators

Latta and Lake View are an even 4-4 against one another since January of 2015, but not for long. The Latta Vikings will face off against the Lake View Wild Gators at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. Latta has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Last Tuesday, Latta blew past Hemingway, posting a 64-29 victory. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Tigers are ranked 243rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Azarriona Mcrae

Steals

01/07/25 @ Hemingway	4
01/04/25 vs Wilson Hall	4
01/03/25 vs Pee Dee Academy	6
01/02/25 vs Waccamaw	2
12/19/24 vs Hannah-Pamplico	5

Latta's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Azarriona Mcrae, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine boards. Mcrae is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kaliya Herman, who posted 14 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.

Latta smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 30 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 25 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Lake View played a tough game on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Carvers Bay, falling 50-12. The Wild Gators were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-5.

Lake View's loss ended a 12-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 1-2. As for Latta, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-4.

Latta was dealt a bruising 71-40 defeat at the hands of Lake View when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Thankfully for Latta, Jaleya Ford (who dropped a double-double on 31 points and 13 boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.