Keenan is on a five-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Lower Richland is on a nine-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Keenan Raiders will be home for the holidays to greet the Lower Richland Diamond Hornets at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in South Carolina (Keenan is ranked 95th, while Lower Richland is ranked 75th).
Keenan struggled with assists on Saturday (Wilson had 13 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Keenan fell 51-42 to Wilson. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Keenan has scored all season.
Despite their loss, Keenan saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kristin Brown, who scored 17 points, was perhaps the best of all. The match was Brown's sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Samiyah Hicks, who scored nine points along with four steals.
Keenan struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Lower Richland has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matches by 31 points or more this season. They claimed a resounding 67-23 victory over Fairfield Central on the road. That 67-23 margin sets a new team best for Lower Richland this season.
Lower Richland can attribute much of their success to Jhnai Sumter, who scored 13 points along with six assists and five rebounds, and Chi?nya Isaac, who scored 15 points along with eight assists. That's the first time this season that Isaac posted eight or more assists. Taelor Hiller-Johnson was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with eight rebounds.
Keenan's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Lower Richland, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a massive bump to their 5-3 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Keenan have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 28 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Lower Richland, though, as they've been averaging only 29.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Keenan came up short against Lower Richland when the teams last played back in November, falling 50-43. Will Keenan have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
