Preview: Southern Fulton Indians vs. McConnellsburg Spartans
Southern Fulton is 8-2 against McConnellsburg since February of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Southern Fulton Indians on the road again and play against the McConnellsburg Spartans at 6:00 p.m. on January 19th. That game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Ethan Mellott and Brayden Ramsey.
On Wednesday, Southern Fulton came up short against Windber and fell 48-39.
Despite their loss, Southern Fulton saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Hunter Ward, who scored ten points, was perhaps the best of all. Paul Hendershot was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Meanwhile, McConnellsburg entered their tilt with Mount Union with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. McConnellsburg took down Mount Union 51-32 on Wednesday. Given McConnellsburg's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 309th, while Mount Union is ranked 688th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
McConnellsburg got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Shaffer Earley out in front who scored nine points along with 12 rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Dom Jefferson, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and five steals.
Southern Fulton has not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-5 record this season. As for McConnellsburg, their win bumped their record up to 10-2.
Friday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Southern Fulton have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 43.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like McConnellsburg struggles in that department as they've drained 42.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Southern Fulton came up short against McConnellsburg in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 55-46. Can Southern Fulton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
