Preview: Lancaster Red Devils vs. Middlesex Chargers
Lancaster is on a 24-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Middlesex is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Lancaster Red Devils will take on the Middlesex Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Lancaster had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They enjoyed a cozy 64-49 win over Westmoreland on Thursday. Given Lancaster's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 68th, while Westmoreland is ranked 262nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Troy Henderson, who scored 31 points. Henderson is crushing the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Daveon Smith, who scored eight points along with 16 rebounds and six assists.
Middlesex proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 21) but on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Northampton 63-61. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 14 to 6 on the offensive boards, as Middlesex did.
Malik Dandy was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 15 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of JaQuan Griffin, who scored 13 points along with seven assists and five rebounds.
Lancaster has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 22-2 record this season. As for Middlesex, their victory bumped their record up to 18-4.
Lancaster beat Middlesex 47-38 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Will Lancaster repeat their success, or does Middlesex have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
