Rock Hills is on a six-game streak of home losses (dating back to last season), the Knights a four-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck is about to change. The Rock Hills Grizzlies will take on the Lakeside Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Last Tuesday, Rock Hills came up short against the Mustangs and fell 45-36. Rock Hills has struggled against the Mustangs recently, as their game on Tuesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
The losing side was boosted by Cooper McDill, who scored 22 points along with three steals and two blocks. That was a full 61.1% of Rock Hills' points, marking the eighth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Justin Luong was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Meanwhile, Lakeside also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to the Bulldogs by a score of 59-50. While losing is never fun, Lakeside can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 236th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 83rd).
Despite their loss, Lakeside saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ian Kresin, who scored 15 points along with three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Jace Cunningham, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds.
Lakeside struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Rock Hills has not been sharp recently as the team's lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-9 record this season. As for Lakeside, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rock Hills have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lakeside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rock Hills came up short against the Knights in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 65-58. Can Rock Hills avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
