Cherryville is 9-1 against Highland Tech since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Cherryville Ironmen will head out on the road to square off against the Highland Tech Rams at 7:30 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Cherryville won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Tuesday. They were beaten by East Gaston 73-43. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Cherryville in their matchups with East Gaston: they've now lost five in a row.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 78-48, which was the final score in Highland Tech's tilt against Shelby on Friday. While losing is never fun, Highland Tech can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 477th, while Shelby is ranked 156th).
Highland Tech might have lost, but man, Elijah Sherrill was a machine: he scored 20 points along with six rebounds. Sherrill is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 16 or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Yoel Mussie, who scored nine points along with eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Highland Tech were working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. This was only their 11th loss (out of 17 games) when they've passed the ball that well.
Cherryville's loss dropped their record down to 11-10. As for Highland Tech, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-14 record this season.
Cherryville was able to grind out a solid win over Highland Tech in their previous matchup back in January, winning 64-55. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cherryville since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
