The South View Tigers will face off against the Purnell Swett Rams at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. South View is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 66.1 points per game this season.
Last Friday, South View was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 58-54 to Jack Britt.
Antrell Gilmore
| 02/14/25 vs Jack Britt | 21 |
| 02/11/25 vs Cape Fear | 17 |
| 02/07/25 @ Gray's Creek | 17 |
Despite the defeat, South View got top-tier performance from Antrell Gilmore, who went 7-for-13 on his way to 21 points in addition to six assists and five rebounds. Gilmore's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 17 points. Demarcus Spearman was another key player, putting up 12 points and five boards.
Even though they lost, South View smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Purnell Swett took a blow against Lumberton on Friday, falling 80-48. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 516th, while the Pirates are ranked 120th).
South View will have to keep a close watch on Jeremiah Barnes and Collin Sampson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Purnell Swett's prior game. Barnes went 6-for-12 to rack up 18 points, while Sampson posted 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Charles Wilkes, who earned five points.
South View's loss dropped their record down to 15-9. As for Purnell Swett, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 14 of their last 17 games, which has put a noticeable dent in their 5-18 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: South View has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Purnell Swett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything went South View's way against Purnell Swett in their previous matchup two weeks ago, as South View made off with a 69-47 victory. Will South View repeat their success, or does Purnell Swett have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
