Basketball Game Preview: Socastee Braves vs. Conway Tigers

Socastee hasn't had much luck against Conway recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Socastee Braves will venture away from home to square off against the Conway Tigers at 7:30 p.m. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Bryson Sams and Trevon Johnson.

Socastee is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game on Tuesday. They fell 58-50 to Myrtle Beach.

Despite the loss, Socastee got top-tier performance from Sams, who went 9 for 11 on his way to 24 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. Sams has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Christoper Ryan was another key player, putting up seven points.

Meanwhile, Conway entered their tilt with St. James on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They came out on top against the Sharks by a score of 41-29. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 15th, while the Sharks are ranked 74th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Conway's win came from a few key players Socastee will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Javion Crawford, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 13 boards. He continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Johnson, who posted 12 points and six rebounds.

Conway is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. As for Socastee, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.

Socastee came up short against Conway in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 42-37. Can Socastee avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.