Having just played yesterday, the Daniel Lions will jump right back in to play the Westside Rams at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Daniel knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past ten matches -- so hopefully Westside likes a good challenge.
On Friday, everything came up roses for Daniel against West-Oak as the team secured a 77-17 win. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 20 points or more this season.
| 01/03/25 vs West-Oak | 20 |
| 12/17/24 @ James F. Byrnes | 11 |
| 12/20/24 vs Palmetto | 9 |
| 12/21/24 vs Belton-Honea Path | 6 |
| 12/23/24 vs Collins Hill | 3 |
Daniel found their leader in sophomore James Epting, who went 8 of 13 on his way to 20 points and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Epting has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Smith, who posted 13 points in addition to eight boards and three steals.
Daniel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Westside faced Greenville in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Sunday. Westside took a 66-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of Greenville. The Rams have been going strong on the season, but this is now their second loss in a row.
Daniel will need focus on slowing down Keemaj Clinkscales, one of several Westside players who made an impact when they last played. He had 11 points and three steals. Another player making a difference was Kmajay Jenkins, who put up 16 points.
Daniel pushed their record up to 9-3 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.0 points per game. As for Westside, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as Daniel and Westside are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Daniel hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 68.1 points per game. However, it's not like Westside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 63.4 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Daniel came up short against Westside in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, falling 61-55. Can Daniel avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
