Basketball Game Preview: Panther Creek Catamounts vs. Green Level Gators

The Panther Creek Catamounts will face off against the Green Level Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Panther Creek sitting on three straight wins and Green Level on seven.

Last Tuesday, Panther Creek beat Cary 68-59. That looming 68-59 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Catamounts yet this season.

Panther Creek's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Andre Richardson, who went 5 of 11 en route to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Savion Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 14 boards.

Meanwhile, Green Level won against Fuquay - Varina on Monday with 68 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Tuesday. Green Level came out on top against Apex by a score of 68-55. The score was all tied up 28-28 at the break, but the Gators were the better team in the second half.

Green Level's win came from a few key players Panther Creek will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Isaac Ericksen, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 boards. He has been hot, having posted nine or more rebounds the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Israel Eatman, who went 6 of 12 on his way to 13 points and six rebounds.

Green Level's victory was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.6 points per game. As for Panther Creek, the win got them back to even at 4-4.

Panther Creek barely slipped by Green Level when the teams last played back in February, winning 65-64. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Ericksen, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 12 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Panther Creek still be able to contain Ericksen? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.