Triton is 0-7 against E.E. Smith since December of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Triton Hawks will take on the E.E. Smith Golden Bulls at 7:00 p.m. Hopefully Triton focused on turnovers this week as the team gave up 17 on Wednesday.
Triton is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took down South Johnston 57-41.
Ja'Niah Smith and Nashara McNeil-Watlington were among the main playmakers for Triton as the former went 7 for 11 en route to 18 points plus six rebounds and six steals and the latter had 18 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals. What's more, Smith also posted a 64% field goal percentage, which is the highest she's posted since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Winter McNeil, who had five points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, in a tight matchup that could have gone either way, E.E. Smith made off with a 44-43 victory over West Craven. The win almost wasn't to be: the Golden Bulls were down 30-14 in the second quarter.
E.E. Smith got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ka'Lyiah Speller out in front who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 14 rebounds. Alonnie Baldwin - Muldrow was another key player, posting 11 points along with five steals.
E.E. Smith smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 30 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
E.E. Smith pushed their record up to 3-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.2 points per game. As for Triton, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Triton has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 20.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like E.E. Smith struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Triton couldn't quite finish off E.E. Smith in their previous matchup back in January and fell 57-54. Can Triton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
