Northern Nash is 8-2 against Southern Nash since January of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. Having just played yesterday, the Northern Nash Knights will get right back to it and host the Southern Nash Firebirds at 7:30 p.m. One thing working in Northern Nash's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last ten games.
Northern Nash is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Rocky Mount: they outscored them in every quarter. Northern Nash put the hurt on Rocky Mount with a sharp 84-61 win on Monday. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 20 points or more this season.
CJ Rosser Jr.
| 02/10/25 vs Rocky Mount | 27 |
| 02/07/25 vs Franklinton | 26 |
| 02/05/25 @ Franklinton | 16 |
| 02/04/25 @ Nash Central | 21 |
| 01/31/25 vs Roanoke Rapids | 25 |
| + 2 more games |
Northern Nash found their leader in sophomore CJ Rosser Jr., who went 10 for 19 on his way to 27 points and five boards. The game was Rosser Jr.'s seventh in a row with at least 16 points. Christian Barnes was another key player, going 6 of 11 en route to 14 points and three steals.
Northern Nash smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Southern Nash came up short against Rocky Mount on Friday and fell 65-54. While losing is never fun, the Firebirds can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 392nd, while the Gryphons are ranked 165th).
Northern Nash will have to keep a close watch on Jaden Hartsfield and George Richardson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Southern Nash's prior game. Hartsfield went 8 for 12 to rack up 19 points and three steals, while Richardson posted nine points and five rebounds. What's more, Hartsfield also posted a 67% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Seth Davis, who had four points.
Southern Nash has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 7-9 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.2 points over those games. As for Northern Nash, they pushed their record up to 16-5 with the victory, which was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Northern Nash has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Southern Nash struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Northern Nash against Southern Nash in their previous matchup back in January, as the team secured a 68-23 win. In that game, Northern Nash amassed a halftime lead of 38-17, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.
