Pinecrest is 10-0 against Union Pines since December of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Pinecrest Patriots will head out on the road to challenge the Union Pines Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Pinecrest has insisted on making their lastfour contests complete nail-biters, turning in a record of 1-3 during that stretch of close contests.
Last Friday, Pinecrest was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 54-50 to Hoke County. That's two games in a row now that Pinecrest has lost by exactly four points.
Elijah Melton put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last six games he's played. Zymire Spencer was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Union Pines' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They suffered a rough 72-47 loss at the hands of Southern Lee. Union Pines has not had much luck with Southern Lee recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
The losing side was boosted by Zion Kiser, who scored 13 points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Aiden Leonard, who scored eight points along with five rebounds.
Pinecrest has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-7 record this season. As for Union Pines, their defeat was their third straight at home, which bumped their record down to 9-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the pair are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Pinecrest hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 55.2 points per game. It's a different story for Union Pines, though, as they've been averaging only 65.6 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Everything came up roses for Pinecrest against Union Pines when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 69-33 win. With Pinecrest ahead 37-13 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
