Preview: Knightdale Knights vs. East Wake Warriors
The Knightdale Knights are on the road again on Friday and play against the East Wake Warriors at 7:45 p.m. on December 15th. Hopefully Knightdale is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than East Wake in North Carolina (Knightdale is ranked 109th, while East Wake is ranked 359th).
Last Monday, things could have been worse for Knightdale, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 60-43 loss to South Garner. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Knightdale has scored all season.
Despite the defeat, Knightdale got a solid performance out of Isaiah Green, who scored 20 points along with five steals. Green is absolutely dominating the steal category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Jamari Williams, who scored six points along with five assists.
Meanwhile, East Wake fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Cary last Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 65-52 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Imps. East Wake's loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Despite their loss, East Wake saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Nikel Rogers, who scored 19 points, was perhaps the best of all. Those 19 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Corban Woodard, who scored 15 points along with five rebounds.
East Wake struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only an offensive rebound. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Knightdale's defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 7-2. East Wake's record now sits at 3-2.
Knightdale was able to grind out a solid win over East Wake in their previous meeting back in November, winning 62-51. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was East Wake's Malachi Harris, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 13 rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Knightdale still be able to contain him? There's only one way to find out.
