Chapel Hill has won five straight games at home, while Jordan has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Chapel Hill Tigers will welcome the Jordan Falcons at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Saturday, Chapel Hill really took it to Hillside for the full four quarters, racking up a 73-38 victory. With the Tigers ahead 42-13 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Zoe Smith
| 11/30/23 @ Williams | 6 |
| 01/25/25 vs Hillside | 4 |
| 01/24/25 vs East Chapel Hill | 3 |
| 02/06/24 vs Riverside-Durham | 3 |
| 01/26/24 @ East Chapel Hill | 3 |
Chapel Hill got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Zoe Smith out in front who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten boards. What's more, Smith also racked up four steals, the most she's had since back in February of 2024. Dezariyah Clark was another key player, going 6 for 10 on her way to 16 points in addition to seven steals and five assists.
Chapel Hill smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 31 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Jordan over Hillside in every quarter on their way to victory on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Jordan blew Hillside out of the water with a 54-26 final score. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 113th, while the Hornets are ranked 429th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jordan's win came from a few key players Chapel Hill will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Olivia Yancey, who went 6 of 15 en route to 17 points and five assists. The matchup was her fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Valerie-Ange Batta, who went 6 for 7 on her way to 12 points and eight rebounds.
Chapel Hill is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.1 points per game. As for Jordan, their victory bumped their record up to 13-4.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Clark and Yancey. Clark has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 10 points, 4.5 steals, and 3 assists. For her part, Yancey has averaged 15.8 points, 2.4 boards, and 1.4 assists.
Everything came up roses for Chapel Hill against Jordan in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the team secured a 52-19 win. Does Chapel Hill have another victory up their sleeve, or will Jordan turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
