The Ardrey Kell Knights entered their tilt with the Berry Cardinal with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Ardrey Kell took down Berry 72-57 on Friday. Given Ardrey Kell's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 75th, while Berry is ranked 343rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Delani Hammonds, who scored 17 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Brett Freeman, who scored 13 points along with two steals.
When it comes to explaining why Berry lost, one person who can't be blamed is Zymiere Chester. Despite the final result, he almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. Chester continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Kentrell Ellis was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with seven assists.
Even though they lost, Berry smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Ardrey Kell's win bumped their record up to 15-5. As for Berry, they have not been sharp recently as the team has lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-14 record this season.
Ardrey Kell will be playing at home against Myers Park at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Myers Park will roll in looking for their 15th straight win, something Ardrey Kell surely won't give up without a fight. As for Berry, they will head out on the road to face off against Harding University at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Berry focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 11 on Friday.
