Basketball Game Preview: Bladensburg Mustangs vs. Laurel Spartans

The Bladensburg Mustangs will face off against the Laurel Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Bladensburg has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while Laurel will come in with four straight victories.

Bladensburg is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Eleanor Roosevelt on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Bladensburg was beaten by Eleanor Roosevelt 70-28. The matchup marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Laurel humbled High Point with an 89-62 victory. The Spartans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 23 points or more this season.

Bladensburg better focus on containing Jermaine Taylor and Gilbert Osafo as the pair were huge in Laurel's win. Taylor went 8 for 17 en route to 21 points in addition to six rebounds and three blocks, while Osafo dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten boards. Taylor's morning made it eight games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Christian Coates, who posted ten points.

Laurel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive matches.

Laurel's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-2. As for Bladensburg, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11-1.

Bladensburg was dealt a bruising 81-47 loss at the hands of Laurel when the teams last played back in December of 2024. Can Bladensburg avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.