Basketball Game Preview: York Cougars vs. Richland Northeast Cavaliers

The York Cougars will challenge the Richland Northeast Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Richland Northeast took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on York, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with 13 defeats in a row, York turned things around against Camden on Tuesday. They slipped by the Bulldogs 57-56.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead York to victory, but perhaps none more so than Christian Smith, who posted 13 points. James Love was another key player, putting up eight points and six boards.

Meanwhile, Richland Northeast came up short against A.C. Flora on Wednesday and fell 47-38. The loss continues a trend for the Cavaliers in their matchups with the Falcons: they've now lost four in a row.

York will need focus on slowing down Reece Jackson, one of several Richland Northeast players who made an impact when they last played. He went 5 for 8 en route to 13 points and three steals. That's the most steals Jackson has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Emmanuel Ard, who scored ten points.

York's win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-15. As for Richland Northeast, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-14.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: York has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Richland Northeast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

York skirted past Richland Northeast 53-50 in their previous matchup back in February of 2020. Will York repeat their success, or does Richland Northeast have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.