The Halifax Academy Vikings will venture away from home to face off against the Ridgecroft Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Halifax Academy will be strutting in after a win while Ridgecroft will be coming in after a loss.
Halifax Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They blew past Statesville Christian 44-19. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 223rd, while the Lions are ranked 450th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Halifax Academy got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Carolina Corum out in front who went 6-for-8 en route to 12 points in addition to six boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Barlow, who went 6-for-14 to rack up 12 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Ridgecroft was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 51-45 to Lawrence Academy. The Rams haven't had much luck with the Warriors recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Ridgecroft saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Hannah Slaughter went 8-for-15 on her way to 17 points and six assists. Slaughter has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Cordrey, who posted four points and nine boards.
Halifax Academy has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season. As for Ridgecroft, their loss dropped their record down to 15-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Halifax Academy has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ridgecroft struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Halifax Academy came up short against Ridgecroft when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 46-42. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Slaughter, who went 6-for-10 en route to 20 points in addition to five assists and five steals. Now that Halifax Academy knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
