Preview: Port Gibson Blue Waves vs. South Pike Eagles
Having just played yesterday, the Port Gibson Blue Waves will get right back to it and host the South Pike Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on February 9th. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Even though Port Gibson has not done well against Franklin County recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Port Gibson had just enough and edged Franklin County out 27-24. Given Port Gibson's advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 118th, while Franklin County is ranked 248th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Port Gibson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Rekiyah Washington, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds. Washington hasn't dropped below nine rebounds for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Camara Evans, who scored five points.
Meanwhile, South Pike entered their tilt with Port Gibson with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. South Pike skirted past Port Gibson 37-35. Winning is a bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 21% better than the opposition, as South Pike's was.
South Pike's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Makayla Robertson, who scored nine points along with five steals, and Alaysha Williams, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. Robertson hasn't dropped below three steals for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Shalia Johnson, who scored five points along with two steals.
Port Gibson is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season. As for South Pike, their win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-6.
Friday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Port Gibson have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26 rebounds per game. However, it's not like South Pike struggles in that department as they've been averaging 21.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Port Gibson couldn't quite finish off South Pike in their previous meeting on Friday and fell 37-35. Can Port Gibson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
