Basketball Game Preview: Mallard Creek Mavericks vs. North Mecklenburg Vikings

Mallard Creek is 0-10 against North Mecklenburg since February of 2020 but things could change on Friday. The Mallard Creek Mavericks will look to defend their home court against the North Mecklenburg Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Mallard Creek is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.2 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, Mallard Creek came up short against Hopewell and fell 53-43. While losing is never fun, the Mavericks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 142nd, while the Titans are ranked 45th).

Mallard Creek's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Troy Griffin, who went 6 of 10 en route to 12 points in addition to eight boards and three blocks, and Ahmad Savage, who posted 16 points. That's the most points Savage has posted since back in November of 2024. Jordyn Washington was another key player, putting up eight points.

Meanwhile, North Mecklenburg had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 38.6 points) and they went ahead and made it eight on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Rams 79-39. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 23 points or more this season.

North Mecklenburg's win was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 79.2 points per game. As for Mallard Creek, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-9.

Mallard Creek was dealt a bruising 91-56 loss at the hands of North Mecklenburg when the teams last played on January 3rd. Will Mallard Creek have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.