Basketball Recap: North Lincoln Picks Up Third Consecutive Victory

North Lincoln waltzed into their contest on Saturday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Bandys Trojans by a score of 78-70. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Knights' disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 256th, while the Trojans are ranked 77th).

North Lincoln's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kellen Karr, who dropped a triple-double on 14 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. Karr is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last 11 games he's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Heavner, who went 8 of 12 on his way to 21 points.

When it comes to explaining why Bandys lost, don't look at Landon Vaughan. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 30 points and 11 rebounds. Vaughan continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Easton Ledford was another key player, putting up 17 points.

North Lincoln has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 80.2 points per game. As for Bandys, their loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-2.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. North Lincoln will face off against Hickory at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Bandys, they will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Lincolnton at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025. Lincolnton knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 games -- so hopefully Bandys likes a good challenge.