Basketball Recap: Manuel (MJ) Gladden's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Statesville over Hickory

Statesville was the 71-62 winner over Hickory when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. The Statesville Greyhounds received a blow on Friday as they fell 65-47 to the Hickory Red Tornadoes.

Statesville lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Manuel (MJ) Gladden, who posted ten points in addition to eight boards and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Tillman, who scored 14 points and five rebounds.

Even though they lost, Statesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in ten consecutive matchups.

Statesville's loss dropped their record down to 14-9. As for Hickory, their victory was their 25th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-4.

As of now, neither Statesville nor Hickory have any future games scheduled.