The NCSSM: Durham Unicorns will challenge the Franklin Academy Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with NCSSM: Durham sitting on four straight victories and Franklin Academy on five.
Last Tuesday, NCSSM: Durham beat Wake Prep Academy 68-60.
Ethann Burkett
| 02/18/25 vs Wake Prep Academy | 34 |
| 02/17/25 vs Falls Lake | 19 |
| 02/14/25 @ Research Triangle | 16 |
Ethann Burkett continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 11-for-17 en route to 34 points. The matchup was his third in a row with at least 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jay Peng, who went 5-for-7 to rack up 14 points and six assists.
Meanwhile, Franklin Academy was fully in charge on Tuesday, breezing past Research Triangle 77-36. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 20 points or more this season.
NCSSM: Durham better focus on containing Hayes Lewis and Aiden Henrie as the pair were huge in Franklin Academy's win. Lewis went 10-for-17 on his way to 23 points and three steals, while Henrie went 6-for-9 en route to 14 points in addition to five assists and five rebounds. That's the most assists Henrie has posted since back in November of 2024. Micah Rutledge was another key player, putting up eight points along with six boards and three steals.
Franklin Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
NCSSM: Durham pushed their record up to 16-8 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.1 points over those games. As for Franklin Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 20-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: NCSSM: Durham has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 22.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Franklin Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
NCSSM: Durham came out on top in a nail-biter against Franklin Academy when the teams last played on February 3rd, sneaking past 61-59. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Henrie, who went 8-for-14 to rack up 21 points and six rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will NCSSM: Durham still be able to contain Henrie? There's only one way to find out.
