The Kinston Vikings will challenge the James Kenan Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Kinston earned a 46-37 win over Southwest Onslow. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Stallions are ranked 268th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, James Kenan had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.8 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They breezed by the Blue Devils to the tune of 47-9. That looming 47-9 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Tigers yet this season.
James Kenan found their leader in sophomore Y'Anna Rivers, who went 6 for 10 en route to 12 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Rivers is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Aleyah Wilson, who posted seven points and seven steals.
James Kenan was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in January of 2024.
James Kenan's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-4. As for Kinston, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 15-2.
Kinston beat James Kenan 50-38 in their previous matchup back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Kinston since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
