Basketball Game Preview: L.C. Bird Skyhawks vs. Nansemond River Warriors

The L.C. Bird Skyhawks and the Nansemond River Warriors will round out the year against one another at at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. L.C. Bird is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.4 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, L.C. Bird was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 47-42 to Manchester. While losing is never fun, the Skyhawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 103rd, while the Lancers are ranked 11th).

Despite the loss, L.C. Bird saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kylie Kent dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Kent has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Essence Cushionberry, who posted nine points.

Even though they lost, L.C. Bird smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Nansemond River entered their tilt with Monroe on Saturday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They took their contest with ease, bagging an 83-35 victory over the Redhawks. The Warriors' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Nansemond River's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.5 points. As for L.C. Bird, their defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-2.

L.C. Bird didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Nansemond River when the teams last played back in December of 2016, but they still walked away with a 54-49 victory. Will L.C. Bird repeat their success, or does Nansemond River have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.