Basketball Recap: Smithfield-Selma Comes Up Short

Smithfield-Selma was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 11th straight loss. They came up short against the West Johnston Wildcats, falling 63-37. The Spartans were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-16.

Despite the defeat, Smithfield-Selma saw an underclassman step up: sophomore James Bell dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 boards. Those 11 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Bell. Another player making a difference was Noah Jeter, who posted five points.

Spartans

Offensive Rebounds

02/04/25 @ West Johnston	14
12/11/23 vs Harnett Central	12
01/30/25 vs East Wake	12
01/31/25 vs Fike	10
01/14/25 vs Southern Wayne	10

Even though they lost, Smithfield-Selma smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in November of 2023.

West Johnston's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dylan Patel, who had eight points. The dominant performance also gave Patel a new career-high in assists (four). Luke Karie also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

Smithfield-Selma's loss dropped their record down to 2-14. As for West Johnston, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-12.

Smithfield-Selma will take on South Johnston at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. As for West Johnston, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 70-41 defeat against Hunt on the 5th.