Preview: Rocky Mount Gryphons vs. Northern Nash Knights
The Rocky Mount Gryphons will be playing at home against the Northern Nash Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Rocky Mount has not had quite the year their fans were hoping for to this point, but back-to-back wins may be a sign of good things to come. In a tight matchup that could have gone either way, they made off with a 50-49 victory over Franklinton.
It was another big night for Anthony Jones, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last seven games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gerald Davis, who scored seven points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Northern Nash had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Nash Central 76-47 on the road. That looming 76-47 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Northern Nash yet this season.
Northern Nash had a senior duo take command as Izeal Mallory II scored 25 points along with three steals and Randall King scored 19 points along with six assists. Mallory II hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. Kamren Freeman was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with seven rebounds.
Rocky Mount's win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-8. As for Northern Nash, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a massive bump to their 9-7 record this season.
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 only averaged 31.7 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Northern Nash, though, as they've been averaging only 27.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rocky Mount skirted past Northern Nash 72-69 when the teams last played back in February of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Northern Nash's Jamal Townsend, who scored 27 points along with nine rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be that much easier for Rocky Mount to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
