The McBee Panthers and the Lee Central Stallions will face off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday without much rest having both just played. The timing is sure in McBee's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Lee Central has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
McBee will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Central, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. McBee walked away with a 71-61 victory over Central on Thursday.
McBee relied on the efforts of Hayden Griggs, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten boards, and Jakari Holloman, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyrek Wright, who posted 16 points.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Lee Central beat Hartsville 60-56 on Thursday.
Lee Central's win came from a few key players McBee will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chuck Harry, who went 10 of 15 on his way to 21 points and five rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sinatra Rembert, who put up 16 points.
Lee Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive games.
McBee's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Lee Central, their victory bumped their record up to 4-6.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's contest: McBee has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 54.5% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Lee Central, though, as they've only made 25.5% of their three-pointers this season. Given McBee's sizable advantage in that area, Lee Central will need to find a way to close that gap.
McBee was able to grind out a solid win over Lee Central when the teams last played on December 3rd, winning 55-42. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lee Central's Jaquarius Davis, who went 7 of 14 on his way to 19 points and eight rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will McBee still be able to contain Davis? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
