Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Maiden couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They fell just short of the Lincolnton Wolves by a score of 72-69 on Friday. That makes it the first time this season the Blue Devils have let down their home crowd.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Lincolnton to victory, but perhaps none more so than LJ Smith IV, who dropped a double-double with 20 points and ten boards. Smith IV's big performance that evening made it 28 games in a row in which he has scored at least 19 points. Another player making a difference was Tyler McClain, who went 6-for-11 on his way to 20 points.
Maiden's defeat dropped their record down to 22-6. As for Lincolnton, they are on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 24-5 record this season.
Maiden does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Lincolnton, they will venture away from home to challenge Salisbury at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Salisbury sitting on 23 straight victories and Lincolnton on six.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
