After both having extra time off, the Hickory Grove Christian Lions and the Metrolina Christian Academy Warriors will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Hickory Grove Christian is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy: they outscored them in every quarter. Hickory Grove Christian came out on top against Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy by a score of 29-19 two weeks ago.
Hickory Grove Christian can attribute much of their success to Mackenzie Williams, who posted 14 points, and Lauren Feaster, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 15 boards.
While Metrolina Christian Academy didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 68-56 victory over Lee Park Prep last Friday.
Hickory Grove Christian better keep an eye on Emily King. She was instrumental in Metrolina Christian Academy's win, going 13 of 20 on her way to 28 points in addition to five assists and five boards. That makes it three consecutive games in which King has scored at least a third of Metrolina Christian Academy's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jenna Carlson, who had eight points along with 16 rebounds and four steals.
Metrolina Christian Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive games.
Metrolina Christian Academy pushed their record up to 7-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.5 points per game. As for Hickory Grove Christian, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season.
Hickory Grove Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over Metrolina Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in February, winning 53-43. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Metrolina Christian Academy's Alaina Griffin, who went 6 of 11 from beyond the arc on her way to 33 points in addition to six boards and five steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Hickory Grove Christian still be able to contain Griffin? There's only one way to find out.
