Basketball Game Preview: Eastside Eagles vs. Riverside Warriors

Eastside hasn't had much luck against Riverside recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles are taking a road trip to challenge the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Eastside is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They walked away with a 70-63 victory over Catawba Ridge. The score was all tied up 35-35 at the break, but the Eagles were the better team in the second half.

Brandon Ray

Field Goal Percentage (Career)

02/16/26 vs Catawba Ridge	69%
12/04/25 @ Woodmont	68%
12/30/25 vs Southside	64%
12/12/24 vs Greenville	64%
12/13/24 vs Gaffney	63%

Eastside's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Thomas Rouse, who shot 64% from the field en route to 23 points along with six assists and six rebounds, and Brandon Ray, who went 9-for-13 on his way to 22 points. The dominant performance also gave Ray a new career-high in shooting accuracy (69%). Wyatt Dugger was another key player, putting up ten points.

They weren't the only ones working in the assist department: Eastside was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. They are 14-4 when they've passed the ball that well.

Meanwhile, Riverside faced James F. Byrnes in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Warriors came out on top against the Rebels by a score of 57-45. The win continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Rebels: they've now won three in a row.

Eastside's record now sits at 17-9. As for Riverside, their record is now 23-3.

Eastside came up short against Riverside when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 63-52. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.