Basketball Recap: Layla Hunter and Keana Smith Secure Win for Carolina Day

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Asheville School (Independent), Carolina Day was happy to have turned things around on Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 56-41 victory over the Lake Lure Classical Academy Raptors. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 52-10 back in November of 2024.

Carolina Day was led to victory by Keana Smith and Layla Hunter. Smith dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Hunter dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten assists. Those ten assists gave Hunter a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Valley Kitt, who posted ten points and six boards.

They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Carolina Day was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lake Lure Classical Academy only posted four assists.

Despite the defeat, Lake Lure Classical Academy saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Landry Mize went 8 for 14 en route to 23 points and six rebounds. That was a full 56.1% of Lake Lure Classical Academy's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's put up more than a third of the team's points. Amiyah Whiteside was another key player, putting up 11 points and five boards.

With the win, Carolina Day broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 12-5. As for Lake Lure Classical Academy, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-11.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Carolina Day will take on Challenger at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Lake Lure Classical Academy, they will face off against Haywood Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on January 31st.