The Ridgecroft Rams put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They snuck past Northeast Academy with a 47-42 victory. Given Ridgecroft's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 45th, while the Eagles are ranked 485th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ridgecroft's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Makenzie Slaughter, who scored ten points along with two blocks. Kate Chamblee was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Northeast Academy's loss came despite strong showings from Hayes Hatcher and Arland Davis. Hatcher dropped a double-double on 14 points and 17 rebounds, while Davis dropped a double-double on 19 points and 16 rebounds. That was a full 45.2% of Northeast Academy's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Lena Taylor, who scored five points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Northeast Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 27 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ridgecroft only pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.
Ridgecroft's victory was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-0. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.0 points per game. As for Northeast Academy, they are on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-12.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Ridgecroft won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against the Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on January 25th. Hopefully Pungo Christian Academy focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 34 last Tuesday. As for Northeast Academy, they will head out on the road to square off against the Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Lawrence Academy focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 19 on Monday.
