The North Duplin Rebels will challenge the Gates County Red Barons at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
North Duplin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Weldon 59-20. Winning may never get old, but the Rebels sure are getting used to it with their eighth in a row.

Addy Higginbotham
02/25/25 vs Weldon | 4 |
02/22/25 vs Lakewood | 2 |
02/18/25 vs Rosewood | 8 |
02/13/25 vs Hobbton | 6 |
02/11/25 @ Rosewood | 5 |
+ 4 more games |
North Duplin's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Addy Higginbotham, who posted 11 points in addition to five assists and four steals. Higginbotham has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tateyawna Faison, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Gates County, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 78-36 victory over East Wake Academy. Given the Red Barons' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 102nd in North Carolina, while the Eagles are ranked 365th in North Carolina), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
North Duplin better keep an eye on Zebriya Woodley. She was instrumental in Gates County's win, going 8-for-10 en route to 18 points and eight rebounds. Those 18 points gave Woodley a new career-high. Zoey Nowell was another key player, going 6-for-11 on her way to 15 points and seven boards.
Gates County pushed their record up to 23-2 with the win, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.8 points over those games. As for North Duplin, their victory bumped their record up to 22-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: North Duplin has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 36.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Gates County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps