Hickory has been on the road for four straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Statesville Greyhounds at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Hickory can now show off eight landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 77-40 victory over Foard. With Hickory ahead 38-17 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Hickory's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jamien Little led the charge by scoring 12 points. Another player making a difference was Jay Powell, who scored 11 points.
Meanwhile, Statesville was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 70-65 to St. Stephens. Statesville has not had much luck with St. Stephens recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Statesville got a solid performance out of Tatum Tucker, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 21 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Tucker has scored all season. Caleb Tillman was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Even though they lost, Statesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Stephens only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.
Hickory pushed their record up to 15-0 with that victory, which was their 17th straight on the road. As for Statesville, they now have a losing record at 7-8.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Hickory hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 73.5 points per game. It's a different story for Statesville, though, as they've been averaging only 65.5 points per game. The only thing between Hickory and another offensive beatdown is Statesville. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Hickory was able to grind out a solid win over Statesville when the teams last played back in February of 2023, winning 76-63. Does Hickory have another victory up their sleeve, or will Statesville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
