The Princeton Bulldogs will head out on the road to face off against the Eastern Wayne Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Princeton is headed into the contest having just posted their closest victory since December 19, 2024 on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Spring Creek 65-63. The Bulldogs didn't have much to brag about two games back, but this victory makes it their second in a row.
Teo McPhatter
| 02/17/25 @ Spring Creek | 32 |
| 02/14/25 @ North Johnston | 40 |
| 02/13/25 @ Beddingfield | 18 |
| 02/07/25 vs Spring Creek | 17 |
| 02/04/25 vs Goldsboro | 23 |
| + 3 more games |
Teo McPhatter was his usual excellent self, going 10-for-21 on his way to 32 points and four steals. His evening made it eight games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Evan Pate was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with nine points and 16 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Eastern Wayne came tearing into Saturday's matchup with 11 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.4 points), and they left with even more momentum. They took down the Cougars 77-59.
Eastern Wayne's win came from a few key players Princeton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Izeiah Oates, who dropped a double-double with 17 points and ten assists. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in field goal percentage (64%). Another player making a difference was Levi Evans, who dropped a double-double with 15 points and ten boards.
Eastern Wayne was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Eastern Wayne pushed their record up to 20-4 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 83.5 points over those games. As for Princeton, their record now sits at 8-17.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Princeton has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Eastern Wayne struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Princeton took a serious blow against Eastern Wayne in their previous matchup back in January, falling 98-60. Can Princeton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
