The Roanoke Rapids Yellowjackets will be taking part in a tournament against the Gates County Red Barons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Roanoke Rapids is headed into the match out to prove that what happened against Southern Nash on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Roanoke Rapids took a blow against Southern Nash, falling 62-21. The contest marked the Yellowjackets' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
| 12/20/24 @ Southern Nash | 6 |
| 12/18/24 vs Northampton County | 9 |
| 12/17/24 vs Franklinton | 5 |
| 12/12/24 @ Northampton County | 3 |
| 12/10/24 @ KIPP P | 6 |
Roanoke Rapids' defeat came about despite a quality game from Shaniah Daniels, who posted eight points along with eight rebounds and six steals. Daniels is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 14 games she's played dating back to last season.
Even though they lost, Roanoke Rapids smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in ten consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Gates County put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Camden County 59-17. The Red Barons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 24 points or more this season.
Gates County's win came from a few key players Roanoke Rapids will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Semiyah Saunders, who earned 13 points and six steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Zebriya Woodley, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Gates County pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 34.4 points. As for Roanoke Rapids, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 4-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Roanoke Rapids has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 39.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Gates County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 40.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
