On Wednesday, both the men’s and women’s Green Level basketball teams faced off against different SWAC opponents in the semi-finals of the conference tournament. GLWBB played in a heated matchup against the 2nd seed Middle Creek, who they had previously lost to twice this year. They pulled through with a win in a nail biter game, ending the game with a final score of 64-60 after being tied at half. As for the men’s team, they competed against the 4th seed Apex Friendship, where they also ran away with a victory, blowing them out of the water with a winning score of 73-50. As of now, the Green Level women’s basketball team has yet to make it to a conference championship game, so history is being made at the Swamp this Friday.
For the women’s game, the Gators take on the Catamounts at home in the final round of the SWAC conference tournament. Panther Creek remains undefeated in conference and 4th overall in the state. Currently, the Gators are 0-2 against the Catamounts this season, but that may all change tonight. The Gators are currently being led by Sr. Deana Prasad, averaging 17.2 points per game, and Soph. Claire Barber with an average 9.9 points per game. As a team, the Gators specialize in shooting and finishing at the basket and efficiently move the ball to get open looks. Overall, the Green Level women’s basketball team is ranked 3rd in conference, 7th in the 4A division, and 99th in the state of North Carolina. For the Catamounts, scoring leaders include Taylor Barner, with an average of 24.0 points per game, followed by Olivia Tucker, with 18.1 points per game. Jr. Ryan Baker shared her opinion on the tasks that need to be done in order for the Gators to win this heated game. “It’s going to come down to the 50/50 plays and who wants it more. Coming into the game with confidence and weeks worth of preparation will set us up for success”. The battle between Green Level and Panther Creek has been an ongoing rivalry since the beginning and brings in lots of attention and recognition with that. The matchup tonight between these two women’s teams is going to be heated and highly competitive as both teams strive for a conference championship win, with the Gators going into this game in hopes of defeating the Catamounts for the first time in school history.
As for the men’s game, the Gators take on the Catamounts for the third time this year. The Green Level men’s basketball team remains undefeated, with an overall record of 26-0. In conference, Panther Creek holds a record of 12-2, with their only two losses being handed to them by the Gators. The Gators are led by Jr. Isaac Ericksen, coming in at an average of 17.3 points per game, as well as Jr. Israel Eatmen, with an average of 14.8 points per game. The men’s team is very well-rounded and diverse when it comes to various skill sets such as defense, shooting, passing, finishing etc., all contributing to how they perform on the court. On the flip side, the Catamounts are led by Sr. Chris Uwayo, averaging 15.5 points per game, followed by Sr. Logan Ware, with 12.1 points per game. A member of the Green Level men’s basketball team, Jr. Jordan Tatum shared his viewpoint on what the Gators need to do to come out on top tonight. “It is important for us to slow them down and take advantage of every loose ball opportunity, as well as limit live ball turnovers and making sure to get back in transition”. Both teams are quick on their feet with great vision coming from all sides of the court, always making it a great game to watch. As said above, the rivalry between these two highly skilled teams continues to bring in immense amounts of intensity and challenges players to perform to the best of their abilities in the fight of winning the conference championship.
As both teams enter these highly anticipated matchups in hopes to secure the championship win, only one can come out on top. Some of the best performances from four highly talented teams are going to be illustrated tonight during these two games, with packed stands and loyal supporters all around. With this, one team is going to leave with a trophy, and the other with their hands empty.
