Basketball Game Preview: Hillcrest Rams vs. Greenville Red Raiders

Hillcrest hasn't had much luck against Greenville recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Hillcrest Rams will venture away from home to challenge the Greenville Red Raiders at 6:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Hillcrest is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Friday. They lost 66-40 to Mauldin. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 174th, while the Mavericks are ranked 21st).

Meanwhile, Greenville lost to J.L. Mann at home by a 72-55 margin on Friday. The defeat continues a trend for the Red Raiders in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now lost four in a row.

Hillcrest will have to contain Ava Owens as she made an impact in Greenville's last game. She dropped a double-double on 25 points and 11 boards. Another player making a difference was Miracle Cheeks, who posted 13 points and three steals.

Even though they lost, Greenville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive contests.

Hillcrest's loss dropped their record down to 4-15. As for Greenville, they now have a losing record at 8-9.

Hillcrest might still be hurting after the 57-33 defeat they got from Greenville in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Can Hillcrest avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.