There's no place like home for the Porter Ridge Pirates, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against Marvin Ridge by a score of 50-43 on Tuesday. The victory was all the more spectacular given Porter Ridge's disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 261st, while the Mavericks are ranked 112th).
Porter Ridge's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ziggy Harris led the charge by scoring seven points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Harris has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Dennis Kurucu, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Several Mavericks players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Marshall Payne, who scored three points along with nine assists. It was the first time this season that Payne posted eight or more assists. Jack Sheridan was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Marvin Ridge struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only an offensive rebound. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Porter Ridge pulled down nine offensive rebounds.
Porter Ridge's win bumped their record up to 7-13. As for Marvin Ridge, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-7 record this season.
Porter Ridge will take on the Warriors at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Weddington's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last 14 contests. As for Marvin Ridge, they will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Cuthbertson has now lost 13 straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 4.
