Basketball Game Preview: South Mecklenburg Sabres vs. Ardrey Kell Knights

Two dominant guards in Ben Houpt and Brett Freeman are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The South Mecklenburg Sabres will take on the Ardrey Kell Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in South Mecklenburg's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last ten matches.

South Mecklenburg took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They had just enough and edged Palisades out 63-61. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Sabres have posted since January 24, 2024.

Houpt was his usual excellent self, going 7 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points and five assists. The game was his eighth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jim Gatehouse, who posted ten points and six assists.

They weren't the only one working in the assists department: South Mecklenburg was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palisades only racked up six assists.

Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Ardrey Kell's good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They took a blow against Myers Park, falling 77-47. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Knights have suffered since March 1, 2024.

South Mecklenburg has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.3 points per game. As for Ardrey Kell, their loss dropped their record down to 17-4.

South Mecklenburg couldn't quite finish off Ardrey Kell in their previous matchup two weeks ago and fell 72-69. Can South Mecklenburg avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.