Basketball Recap: Finley Heath's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Apex over Knightdale

On Friday, 2025 welcomed the Apex Cougars with a 68-43 loss courtesy of the Knightdale Knights. While losing is never fun, the Cougars can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 503rd, while the Knights are ranked 105th).

Apex lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Finley Heath, who posted ten points. The dominant performance gave Heath a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Elizabeth Austin, who earned nine points.

Even though they lost, Apex was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Apex has been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-11 record this season. As for Knightdale, they pushed their record up to 10-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Apex will take on Apex Friendship at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Apex Friendship is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.5 points per game this season. As for Knightdale, they will challenge Sanderson at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Knightdale is facing Sanderson at the right time seeing as Sanderson is stuck on a ten-game losing streak.