Even though the North Lincoln Knights have not done well against the Maiden Blue Devils recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. North Lincoln came out on top against Maiden by a score of 45-37. Given North Lincoln's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 111th, while Maiden is ranked 365th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
North Lincoln's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ally Smith, who almost dropped a triple-double on 14 points, nine rebounds, and 11 steals. The contest was Smith's sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Grice, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Maiden lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Khiara Culliver, who scored eight points along with 16 rebounds. Those 16 rebounds set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Kynsea Pugh, who scored ten points.
North Lincoln's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-1. As for Maiden, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. North Lincoln will take on South Iredell at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. South Iredell is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak. As for Maiden, they will play host again and welcome St. Stephens, where tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully St. Stephens focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 22 on Friday.
