Hickory is 10-0 against Foard since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hickory Red Tornadoes' road trip will continue as they head out to face the Foard Tigers at 8:00 p.m. on January 19th. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
On Wednesday, Hickory's game was all tied up 32-32 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They walked away with an 84-71 victory over St. Stephens. Given Hickory's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while St. Stephens is ranked 279th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hickory's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jamien Little, who scored 18 points. Little continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. John Holbrook was another key contributor, scoring 17 points.
Meanwhile, Foard's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They took a serious blow against North Lincoln, falling 87-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Foard has suffered yet this season.
Despite the defeat, Foard got a solid performance out of Nicholas Jeffries, who scored ten points along with nine rebounds and three steals. That's the first time this season that Jeffries grabbed two or more steals. Another player making a difference was Graham Orndoff, who scored 13 points.
Hickory pushed their record up to 14-0 with that victory, which was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Foard, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season.
Everything came up roses for Hickory against Foard in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as the squad secured a 99-50 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Foard's Christian Henry, who scored 18 points. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Hickory to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
