Clinton hasn't had much luck against St. Pauls recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Clinton Dark Horses will head out to square off against the St. Pauls Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. Clinton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.4 points per game this season.
St. Pauls better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when Clinton really get things going. Clinton was the clear victor by a 56-36 margin over Red Springs on Friday. The Dark Horses have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 20 points or more this season.
Clinton's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ciara Stuart led the charge by going 6 for 13 en route to 16 points and four steals. Another player making a difference was Phoenix Everett, who posted 13 points and six steals.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, St. Pauls beat Lumberton 50-45 on Saturday.
Clinton better keep an eye on Zhari Shipman. She was instrumental in St. Pauls' win, going 7 of 15 on her way to 22 points in addition to six boards and six steals. Shipman is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 15 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Zakoreya Davis, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
St. Pauls is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season. As for Clinton, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-5.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Everett and Shipman. Everett has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 12.2 points and 5.8 steals. For her part, Shipman has averaged 19.1 points, 3.9 steals, and 4.7 assists.
Clinton was dealt a bruising 65-28 loss at the hands of St. Pauls when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Thankfully for Clinton, Jashontae Harris (who went 8 for 14 en route to 20 points along with seven steals and five assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
