Two dominant guards in Khalid Sherman and JJ Gray are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Loris Lions will be home for the holidays to greet the Carolina Forest Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Loris took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 62-45 victory over Conway. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Tigers are ranked 73rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
MyKhai Bell
| 12/16/25 vs Conway | 90% |
| 12/13/25 vs Ashley Ridge | 50% |
| 12/12/25 vs North Myrtle Beach | 33% |
MyKhai Bell had an outrageously good game as he went 9-for-10 on his way to 18 points and five boards. Thanks to that strong game, he now owns an excellent 62.5% shooting accuracy. The team also got some help courtesy of Nigel Miller, who posted seven points.
Loris 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 eight offensive rebounds every time they've taken the court this season.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Carolina Forest's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They fell 72-62 to Sumter. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Friday (59), the Panthers still had to take the loss.
Loris will have to contain Jaiden Knowlin as he made an impact in Carolina Forest's last game. He shot 70% from the field to rack up 16 points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kade Taylor, who earned nine points and five boards.
Loris' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.0 points over those games. As for Carolina Forest, their loss dropped their record down to 6-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Loris has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Carolina Forest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Loris came up short against Carolina Forest in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 86-82. Thankfully for the Lions, Zechariah Gardner (who went 10-for-15 en route to 30 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
