Preview: Laney Buccaneers vs. Ashley Screaming Eagle
Laney has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Ashley Screaming Eagle at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Laney strolled past West Brunswick with points to spare, taking the game 61-47. Given Laney's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while West Brunswick is ranked 494th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Laney to victory, but perhaps none more so than Hezron Driver, who scored eight points. Another player making a difference was Eric Williams, who scored five points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Ashley's and South Brunswick's match on Tuesday was close at halftime, but Ashley turned on the heat in the second half with 38 points. Ashley blew past South Brunswick 58-36. The win was just what Ashley needed coming off of a 58-32 defeat in their prior contest.
Ashley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Nate Jarrell, who scored 15 points. Those 15 points set a new season-high mark for Jarrell. Coen Locklear was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with seven rebounds.
Laney's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.8 points per game. As for Ashley, their win ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4.
Laney didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Ashley in their previous matchup back in January, but they still walked away with a 49-44 win. Will Laney repeat their success, or does Ashley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
