St. Stephens is 2-7 against North Iredell since December of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The two teams will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. St. Stephens has given up an average of 51.9 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
St. Stephens fought the good fight in their overtime game against Bandys on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 62-52 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Trojans. While losing is never fun, the Indians can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 207th, while the Trojans are ranked 99th).
St. Stephens' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jachavis Sherrill, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten boards, and Chatham Donley, who went 5-for-10 to rack up 14 points. Another player making a difference was Alan Wilson, who posted nine points and five rebounds.
While North Iredell didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-18), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They enjoyed a cozy 56-42 victory over West Wilkes on Tuesday. The game was the first time the Raiders have beaten the Blackhawks on their court since November 21, 2017.
St. Stephens better keep an eye on Connor Ward. He was instrumental in North Iredell's win, shooting 75% from the field en route to 26 points and five boards. Ward continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Kaden Zachary also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.
North Iredell's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.7 points over those games. As for St. Stephens, the defeat was their first on the road , dropping their record down to 7-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: St. Stephens has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like North Iredell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
St. Stephens came up short against North Iredell in their previous meeting back in January, falling 67-63. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
