The Wilson Tigers will face off against the South Florence Bruins at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Wilson is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.8 points per game this season.
South Florence is facing Wilson at the wrong time: Wilson suffered their first home loss of the season on Tuesday and they're likely out for redemption. They fell 55-44 to the Diamond Hornets. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 28th, while the Diamond Hornets are ranked fifth).
| 02/04/25 vs Lower Richland | 21 |
| 01/31/25 @ Crestwood | 26 |
| 01/28/25 @ Hartsville | 24 |
| 01/26/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 30 |
Despite the defeat, Wilson saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Logan Murray almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine boards. Murray's evening made it four games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Leah Spears was another key player, putting up nine points and six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Wilson smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, South Florence entered their tilt with Lakewood on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They enjoyed a cozy 53-38 win over the Gators.
South Florence's win came from a few key players Wilson will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Amari Gamble, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 15 boards. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in rebounds. Another player making a difference was Allyson Watson, who posted 11 points in addition to seven assists and six boards.
Wilson's loss ended a seven-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-6. As for South Florence, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Wilson has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 34.5 boards per game. However, it's not like South Florence struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Wilson was able to grind out a solid win over South Florence in their previous matchup back in January, winning 43-32. Will Wilson repeat their success, or does South Florence have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
