Preview: Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes vs. Pinewood Prep Panthers
Ashley Ridge has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Pinewood Prep Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Hopefully Ashley Ridge focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 14 on Wednesday.
Last Wednesday, Ashley Ridge beat Fort Dorchester 52-45.
Ashley Ridge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Javion Gathers, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Jordan Davis, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Pinewood Prep has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a hard 46-31 fall against Porter-Gaud on Friday. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Pinewood Prep in their matchups with Porter-Gaud: they've now lost five in a row.
Despite the loss, Pinewood Prep saw an underclassman step up: Tripp Eidson scored eight points along with ten rebounds and three blocks. Eidson continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Jones, who scored eight points along with five rebounds.
Ashley Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. As for Pinewood Prep, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 15-8 record this season.
Monday's match will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Jahlil Hope and Jones. Hope has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 17 points, 2.2 steals, and 7.8 rebounds. For his part, Jones has averaged 14.7 points and 1.9 steals.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ashley Ridge have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Pinewood Prep, though, as they've been averaging only 34 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
