Basketball Game Preview: White Oak Vikings vs. Rocky Mount Gryphons

The White Oak Vikings will head out to challenge the Rocky Mount Gryphons at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Friday, White Oak was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 33-29 to Swansboro. The Vikings haven't had much luck with the Pirates recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Sidney Ferguson, who posted 17 points. Zamarah Rawls was another key player, putting up three points in addition to seven blocks and five boards.

Meanwhile, Rocky Mount had already won 15 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 36.9 points) and they went ahead and made it 16 on Tuesday. They took down the Firebirds 60-41. Given the Gryphons' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 45th, while the Firebirds are ranked 243rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

White Oak better keep an eye on Kira Jones. She was instrumental in Rocky Mount's win, en route to 26 points along with seven rebounds and five steals. Jones is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of ZaNadiyah Harris, who had eight points in addition to 13 boards and four steals.

Rocky Mount smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 16 consecutive games.

Rocky Mount's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.3 points over those games. As for White Oak, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-12.