Preview: North Pontotoc Vikings vs. New Albany Bulldogs
North Pontotoc has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the New Albany Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Tuesday, North Pontotoc was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 65-60 to Byhalia.
Meanwhile, New Albany came up short against East Union on Friday and fell 72-64. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as New Albany came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 40th, while East Union is ranked 175th).
North Pontotoc has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost nine of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-14 record this season. As for New Albany, their loss dropped their record down to 12-5.
North Pontotoc was dealt a bruising 77-48 defeat at the hands of New Albany when the teams last played back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of New Albany's Dee Johnson, who went 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points and 1 assist. Now that North Pontotoc knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.