Having just played yesterday, the Research Triangle Raptors will get right back to it and host the NCSSM: Durham Unicorns at 7:30 p.m. on February 7th. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
On Tuesday, Research Triangle was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 37-32 to Franklin Academy. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Research Triangle in their matchups with Franklin Academy: they've now lost four in a row.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Cade Wiggins, who scored six points. Zain Abdelbaky was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, NCSSM: Durham's good fortune finally ran out last Tuesday. They fell to Franklin Academy 62-56. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Research Triangle has been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-10 record this season. As for NCSSM: Durham, they now have a losing record at 8-9.
Research Triangle came up short against NCSSM: Durham when the teams last played back in January, falling 54-44. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of NCSSM: Durham's Ethann Burkett, who scored 26 points along with five steals. Now that Research Triangle knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
