The Blake Yellow Jackets will take on the King Lions on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Blake is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Oak Ridge just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell 70-62 to the Pioneers.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jason Johnson, who posted 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Lewis, who scored 13 points and eight boards.
Even though they lost, Blake smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Oak Ridge only pulled down six offensive boards.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and King had no trouble coming through when it counted. They skirted past Brandon 79-76. The Lions' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
King's win came from a few key players Blake will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nuri Hakim, who dropped a double-double on 33 points and ten rebounds. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 15.2 points per game. Another player making a difference was Rodney Smith, who earned 16 points in addition to eight assists and six boards.
The victory was the third in a row for King, bringing their record for this year to 6-20. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.7 points per game. As for Blake, their defeat dropped their record down to 20-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Blake has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 34.3 boards per game. However, it's not like King struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Blake took their win against King in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 59-38. The rematch might be a little tougher for Blake since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
