Basketball Game Preview: James Kenan Tigers vs. Southwest Onslow Stallions

James Kenan hasn't had much luck against Southwest Onslow recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The James Kenan Tigers are taking a road trip to challenge the Southwest Onslow Stallions at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

James Kenan is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took down North Lenoir 53-36 on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.

James Kenan's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Y'Anna Rivers, who posted 21 points and eight rebounds, and Aleyah Wilson, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. Those nine boards gave Wilson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Labria McGowan, who had eight points.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Southwest Onslow against South Lenoir on Thursday as the team secured a 57-27 victory. The Stallions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 23 points or more this season.

James Kenan better keep an eye on Oriyanna Galloway. She was instrumental in Southwest Onslow's win, dropping a double-double on 30 points and 16 steals. That makes it ten consecutive games in which Galloway has scored at least a third of Southwest Onslow's points. Khimara Dorsey was another key player, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 22 rebounds.

The win got James Kenan back to even at 4-4. As for Southwest Onslow, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season.

James Kenan came up short against Southwest Onslow in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 50-42. Can James Kenan avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.