Basketball Game Preview: Ardrey Kell Knights vs. South Mecklenburg Sabres

Two dominant guards in Brett Freeman and Ben Houpt are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ardrey Kell Knights will welcome the South Mecklenburg Sabres at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Ardrey Kell is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Myers Park just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Tuesday. They were outmatched by the Mustangs and fell 77-47. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Knights have suffered since March 1, 2024.

South Mecklenburg's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Berry on Friday. South Mecklenburg sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 63-61 victory over Palisades. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Sabres have posted since January 24, 2024.

Ardrey Kell better keep an eye on Houpt. He was instrumental in South Mecklenburg's win, going 7 of 9 from beyond the arc on his way to 22 points and five assists. The contest was Houpt's eighth in a row with at least ten points. Jim Gatehouse was another key player, putting up ten points and six assists.

South Mecklenburg was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palisades only racked up six assists.

South Mecklenburg is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.3 points per game. As for Ardrey Kell, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 17-4.

Ardrey Kell came out on top in a nail-biter against South Mecklenburg in their previous matchup two weeks ago, sneaking past 72-69. Does Ardrey Kell have another victory up their sleeve, or will South Mecklenburg turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.