Wilson is a perfect 4-0 against Lakewood since January of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Wilson Tigers will square off against the Lakewood Gators at 7:30 p.m. Wilson knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight games -- so hopefully Lakewood likes a good challenge.
Wilson is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Darlington: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Wilson blew Darlington out of the water with a 68-36 final score. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Falcons are ranked 126th), the result on Saturday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Josh Leonard
| 02/08/25 @ Darlington | 88% |
| 02/07/25 vs South Florence | 67% |
| 02/04/25 vs Lower Richland | 67% |
| 01/31/25 @ Crestwood | 50% |
| 01/28/25 @ Hartsville | 50% |
| + 36 more games |
Wilson got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Josh Leonard out in front who went 7 for 8 to rack up 21 points and seven boards. What's more, Leonard also posted a 88% shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's posted since back in December of 2023. Tristan Thompson was another key player, dropping a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Friday Lakewood sidestepped Lower Richland for a 46-44 win.
Wilson better keep an eye on Pop Cato. He was instrumental in Lakewood's win, going 5 of 8 en route to 15 points and eight boards. Cato is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Darius Franklin, who posted eight points and eight rebounds.
Wilson has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 16-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.9 points over those games. As for Lakewood, their record now sits at 13-10.
Monday's game will pit two of the most dominant s against one another: Leonard and Franklin. Leonard has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 21.8 points, 2.5 steals, and 10 boards on 55.7% shooting. For his part, Franklin has averaged 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds on 50.2% shooting.
Wilson didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Lakewood in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 61-55 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lakewood's Carlos Franklin, who made all 7 shots he took from beyond the arc to post 21 points. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Wilson still be able to contain Franklin? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
