Pinecrest came tearing into Friday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 67-56 victory over the Union Pines Vikings. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 117th, while the Vikings are ranked 239th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pinecrest's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zymire Spencer, who went 7 for 17 en route to 17 points in addition to six assists and three steals. Spencer is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tavarus McLaughlin, who posted ten points and three steals.
When it comes to explaining why Union Pines lost, don't look at Jaylen Kyle. Despite the final result, he almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds. Kingsley Donaldson was another key player, putting up 11 points along with seven steals and six boards.
Patriots
| 01/17/25 vs Union Pines | 67-56 |
| 01/09/25 vs Scotland | 59-36 |
| 01/03/25 vs Providence | 64-63 |
| 12/11/24 vs South Mecklenburg | 80-77 |
| 12/10/24 vs Richmond | 62-58 |
| + 5 more games |
Pinecrest's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-4. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.6 points per game. As for Union Pines, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-6.
Pinecrest will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Richmond at 7:30 p.m. on January 28th. As for Union Pines, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 71-59 win against Fairmont on the 20th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
