The Stuart W. Cramer Storm just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Lincolnton Wolves at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Stuart W. Cramer's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last six contests.
Stuart W. Cramer is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Bessemer City just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a 66-61 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Yellow Jackets.
Tahj Whitley
| 01/29/26 @ Bessemer City | 17 |
| 01/22/26 vs Bessemer City | 17 |
| 12/30/25 vs Bessemer City | 15 |
| 12/29/25 @ South Point | 13 |
| 01/23/26 @ West Lincoln | 10 |
| + 12 more games |
Despite the loss, Stuart W. Cramer got top-tier performance from Tahj Whitley, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Whitley has become a key player for the Storm: the team is 5-2 when he posts at least eight boards, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kingston Womack, who posted 11 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lincolnton, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Shelby on Friday, sneaking past 76-74. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Wolves' disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 210th, while the Golden Lions are ranked 103rd).
Stuart W. Cramer better keep an eye on Josiah Guyton. He was instrumental in Lincolnton's win, shooting 67% from the field on his way to 26 points and seven rebounds. The game was Guyton's sixth in a row with at least 21 points. Cam Smith was another key player, going 5-for-8 en route to 15 points and seven boards.
Lincolnton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 17 consecutive contests.
Lincolnton has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.7 points over those games. As for Stuart W. Cramer, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's game: Stuart W. Cramer has been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 36.5% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Lincolnton, though, as they've only made 29.9% of their three-pointers this season. Given Stuart W. Cramer's sizable advantage in that area, the Wolves will need to find a way to close that gap.
Stuart W. Cramer came up short against Lincolnton when the teams last played back in December of 2025, falling 69-58. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Guyton, who dropped a double-double with 20 points and ten rebounds. Now that the Storm know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
