Basketball Game Preview: Nitro Wildcats vs. Grafton Bearcats

A feisty cat fight will be fought as Nitro Wildcats take on Grafton Bearcats at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, Nitro and Grafton will really light up the scoreboard.

Nitro is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 62-34 victory over Lewis County. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 20 points or more this season.

Karson Jones

Field Goal Percentage

03/11/25 vs Lewis County	80%
03/06/25 vs Chapmanville Regional	50%
02/27/25 @ St. Albans	100%

Nitro's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Karson Jones, who posted ten points and eight boards. Jones is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as she's posted one of at least 50% in the last three games she's played. Ava Edwards was another key player, going 5-for-9 to rack up 12 points.

Meanwhile, Grafton faced East Fairmont in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Grafton came out on top against East Fairmont by a score of 57-49. The win was familiar territory for the Bearcats, who have now won three games in a row.

Nitro has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.1 points over those games. Grafton's victory bumped their record up to 22-1.