Porter Ridge has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Sun Valley Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Tuesday, Porter Ridge strolled past Cuthbertson with points to spare, taking the game 66-49. The victory was just what Porter Ridge needed coming off of a 74-48 loss in their prior contest.
Jacob Conroy had an outrageously good game as he scored 22 points along with five assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Rai'shawn Elmore, who scored ten points along with six steals and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Sun Valley's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight defeat. They took a hard 74-55 fall against Marvin Ridge. While losing is never fun, Sun Valley can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 341st, while Marvin Ridge is ranked 111th).
Despite the loss, Sun Valley saw an underclassman step up: Kaleel Benjamin scored 18 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylin Powell, who scored ten points along with six rebounds.
Porter Ridge's win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-14. As for Sun Valley, they have not been sharp recently as the team has lost seven of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-16 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Porter Ridge have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sun Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Porter Ridge came up short against Sun Valley in their previous meeting back in January, falling 72-59. Will Porter Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.