Preview: Franklinton Rams vs. Rocky Mount Gryphons
Franklinton is 0-10 against Rocky Mount since January of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Franklinton Rams on the road again and play against the Rocky Mount Gryphons at 6:00 p.m. on January 19th. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Franklinton posted their biggest victory since December 5, 2023 on Wednesday. They blew past Northern Nash 52-18 on the road. With Franklinton ahead 35-8 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Franklinton found their leader in underclassman Asia Burton, who scored 24 points. Burton hasn't dropped below 15points for eight straight games. Another player making a difference was Mikayla Taborn, who scored ten points.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount was fully in charge on Tuesday, breezing past Southern Nash 60-19 on the road. Given Rocky Mount's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 60th, while Southern Nash is ranked 366th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for McKinley Battle, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Aniya Cotton was another key contributor, scoring five points along with nine rebounds and two blocks.
Franklinton pushed their record up to 13-1 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Rocky Mount, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Franklinton hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 52.9 points per game. It's a different story for Rocky Mount, though, as they've been averaging only 52.5 points per game. The only thing between Franklinton and another offensive beatdown is Rocky Mount. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Franklinton was taken down by Rocky Mount 57-24 in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Can Franklinton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
