The D.H. Conley Vikings will take on the Havelock Rams at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Saturday, D.H. Conley came up short against Martin County and fell 66-57. While losing is never fun, the Vikings can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 439th, while the Gators are ranked 204th).
Despite their defeat, D.H. Conley saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Samari Cabell, who went 6 for 8 on his way to 16 points in addition to eight boards and five steals, was perhaps the best of all. Cabell is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Cayden Hill, who went 7 of 8 on his way to 16 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Havelock entered their tilt with West Carteret last Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Patriots by a score of 72-63.
D.H. Conley better keep an eye on Jaylen Hewitt. He was instrumental in Havelock's win, dropping a double-double on 28 points and ten rebounds. With that strong performance, Hewitt is now averaging an impressive 18 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Chris Strong, who went 9 of 17 on his way to 23 points.
Havelock was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matches.
Havelock is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 4-3 record this season. As for D.H. Conley, their loss dropped their record down to 2-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: D.H. Conley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Havelock struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
D.H. Conley ended up a good deal behind Havelock when the teams last played back in February, losing 59-45. Can D.H. Conley avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
