Two dominant guards in Zariah Burnette and Darla Lee are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Willow Spring Storm will head out on the road to challenge the Corinth Holders Pirates at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. Willow Spring is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.
Willow Spring stacked a 12th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Tuesday. They blew past Cleveland, posting a 63-21 win on the road. Given Willow Spring's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 24th, while Cleveland is ranked 235th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Burnette was her usual excellent self, scoring 21 points along with five assists and five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Amanda Mitchell, who scored ten points along with two blocks.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Corinth Holders ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They skirted past South Garner 60-57. The win made it back-to-back wins for Corinth Holders.
Corinth Holders' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lee, who scored 24 points along with five assists and three steals. Lee is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Lauren Sizemore, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Willow Spring pushed their record up to 19-3 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road. They've been dominating during the games in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 33.7 points. As for Corinth Holders, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Willow Spring have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Corinth Holders struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Willow Spring against Corinth Holders when the teams last played back in January as the team secured a 60-25 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Willow Spring since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
