The Southern Rams on the road again on Friday and play against the Tucker County Mountain Lions at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. Southern will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in their respective state's rankings (they are ranked 124th in Maryland, while Tucker County is ranked 20th in West Virginia).
Southern suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Monday. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough 70-45 walloping at the hands of Fort Hill. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Southern has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Southern got a solid performance out of Isaiah Keller, who scored 16 points. Braige Hardesty was another key contributor, scoring two points along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, Tucker County entered their tilt with Trinity Christian with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. Tucker County claimed a resounding 91-60 win over Trinity Christian on the road. Tucker County's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Garrett Wilfong was his usual excellent self, scoring 24 points along with three steals and two blocks. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Trevan Bonner, who scored 26 points.
Southern's defeat dropped their record down to 7-5. As for Tucker County, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-2.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Southern have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 42.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Tucker County struggles in that department as they've made 46.8% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Southern came up short against Tucker County when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 53-41. Can Southern avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
