The Ridgecroft Rams put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They came out on top against Rocky Mount Academy by a score of 53-44. Given Ridgecroft's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while Rocky Mount Academy is ranked 104th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ridgecroft got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Makenzie Slaughter out in front who scored 19 points along with six assists. The matchup was Slaughter's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Kate Chamblee, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 13 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Rocky Mount Academy still got an impressive performance from Taylor Carmichael, who scored 22 points. Carmichael scored a full 50% of Rocky Mount Academy's points, the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Berkeley Miller was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Rocky Mount Academy were working as a unit and finished the game with ten assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgecroft only racked up 17 assists.
Ridgecroft pushed their record up to 9-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.7 points per game. As for Rocky Mount Academy, their defeat ended an 11-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 7-2.
Ridgecroft will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Lawrence Academy at 6:00 p.m. on January 5, 2024. After both having extra time off, Rocky Mount Academy and Halifax Academy will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 6:45 p.m. on January 3, 2024.