Basketball Preview: Purnell Swett Rams vs. South View Tigers
The Purnell Swett Rams will head out on the road to challenge the South View Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Purnell Swett will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps North Carolina Rankings (they are ranked 549th, while the Tigers are ranked 256th).
Purnell Swett's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They fell 51-39 to Jack Britt.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jodi Freeman, who scored 12 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Collin Sampson, who scored 13 points.
Meanwhile, South View's game on Friday was all tied up 28-28 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They received a tough blow as they fell 70-55 to Lumberton. South View has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, South View saw an underclassman step up: Jakari Jordan scored ten points along with six blocks. Another player making a difference was Chase Evans, who scored 12 points along with two steals.
Purnell Swett's defeat was their eighth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 4-14. As for South View, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-9 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Purnell Swett have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like South View struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Purnell Swett skirted past the Tigers 44-42 in their previous meeting back in January of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Purnell Swett since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
