Basketball Recap: Lake Norman Picks Up 16th Consecutive Victory

Wildcats

Previous Games

02/21/25 vs Hickory Ridge	68-56
02/18/25 vs West Cabarrus	79-34
02/14/25 @ Mooresville	83-28
02/13/25 vs Bishop McGuinness	78-61
02/11/25 vs South Iredell	85-25
+ 11 more games

Lake Norman came tearing into Friday's contest with 15 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 47.1 points), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 68-56 victory over the Hickory Ridge Ragin' Bulls. That's the third time they've managed to beat them this season, with their most recent win being a 76-43 victory on February 4th.

Lake Norman got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Rayana Minard out in front who en route to 24 points. Minard continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last five games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Alexis Shehan, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Lake Norman smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. They pulled down seven more offensive boards than Hickory Ridge's also-impressive total of ten.

When it comes to explaining why Hickory Ridge lost, don't look at Ma-Kaela Gidney. Despite the final result, she on her way to 22 points and five steals. Gidney is becoming a predictor of Hickory Ridge's success: when she posts at least three steals the team is 17-3 (and 2-5 when she doesn't). Miranda Duley was another key player, putting up six points and 13 boards.

Lake Norman's victory was their 14th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-1. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 78.9 points over those games. As for Hickory Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 19-8.

Lake Norman and Hickory Ridge are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Lake Norman will be playing in front of their home fans against Cox Mill at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Lake Norman's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 16 matchups. As for Hickory Ridge, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Ragsdale at 6:00 p.m. Hickory Ridge is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.6 points per game this season.