The Harnett Central Trojans and the Smithfield-Selma Spartans are set to duel on Monday. Harnett Central knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Smithfield-Selma likes a good challenge.
While Harnett Central didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victor by a 57-31 margin over Western Harnett on Friday. The Trojans pushed the score to 45-23 by the end of the third, a deficit the Eagles had little chance of recovering from.
It was another big night for Braydon Temple, who earned 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Kyrese Williams, who earned nine points in addition to five assists and four steals.
Harnett Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in eight consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Smithfield-Selma, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 63-49 victory over North Johnston on Friday.
Smithfield-Selma's win ended a nine-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-3. As for Harnett Central, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-1.
Harnett Central strolled past Smithfield-Selma in their previous matchup on Wednesday by a score of 65-51. The rematch might be a little tougher for Harnett Central since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
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