Preview: Newport Wildcats vs. Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts
Newport is 8-2 against Lloyd Memorial since March of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Sunday. The Newport Wildcats will take on the Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts at 2:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Newport sitting on 22 straight victories and Lloyd Memorial on five.
Last Monday, it was close, but Newport sidestepped Ryle for a 45-43 victory. Given Newport's advantage in MaxPreps' Kentucky basketball rankings (they are ranked third, while Ryle is ranked 57th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Newport found their leader in underclassman Tay Kinney, who scored 22 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Kinney is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last six games he's played. James Turner was another key contributor, scoring five points along with eight rebounds and four blocks.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Memorial had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They took their match on the road on Monday with ease, bagging a 59-30 win over Beechwood.
Newport is on a roll lately: they've won 23 of their last 24 games, which provided a nice bump to their 30-3 record this season. As for Lloyd Memorial, their win bumped their record up to 23-8.
Everything went Newport's way against Lloyd Memorial in their previous matchup back in February as Newport made off with a 71-48 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Newport since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
