The Kinston Vikings are taking a road trip to challenge the South Lenoir Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Kinston has three straight wins, South Lenoir has seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
Last Tuesday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Kinston beat Wallace-Rose Hill 41-35. The 41-point effort marked the Vikings' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Kinston can attribute much of their success to Aleah Hill, who posted 16 points and six steals, and Nasheyla Mason, who put up 15 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. America Lloyd was another key player, putting up four points and six boards.
Kinston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, South Lenoir was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 29-23 to North Lenoir.
Kinston will need focus on slowing down Tyazhia Midgett, one of several South Lenoir players who made an impact when they last played. She had five points along with 12 rebounds and three blocks. Midgett has been hot, having posted nine or more boards the last five times she's played.
South Lenoir's defeat dropped their record down to 1-14. As for Kinston, their victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-1.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's game: Kinston has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 38.5% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for South Lenoir, though, as they've only made 16.8% of their three-pointers this season. Given Kinston's sizable advantage in that area, South Lenoir will need to find a way to close that gap.
Kinston took their win against South Lenoir in their previous matchup on January 3rd by a conclusive 56-30. The rematch might be a little tougher for Kinston since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
