Preview: Silver Bluff Bulldogs vs. Pelion Panthers
Silver Bluff is 8-0 against Pelion since January of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Silver Bluff Bulldogs will head out on the road to take on the Pelion Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Silver Bluff fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Strom Thurmond on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 59-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Rebels. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Silver Bluff in their matchups with Strom Thurmond: they've now lost four in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Justin Perry, who scored eight points. The team also got some help courtesy of Devonta Parker, who scored eight points.
Even though they lost, Silver Bluff smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Strom Thurmond only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.
Meanwhile, Pelion's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their seventh straight loss. They fell 50-41 to Batesburg-Leesville.
Like Silver Bluff, Pelion lost despite seeing results from several players. Zyan Davis led the charge by scoring seven points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Kolton Rogers, who scored four points along with nine rebounds and three steals.
Silver Bluff's defeat dropped their record down to 10-12. As for Pelion, they dropped their record down to 5-14 with that loss, which was their third straight at home.
Thursday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Silver Bluff have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 38.4% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Pelion struggles in that department as they've made 37.2% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Silver Bluff barely slipped by Pelion when the teams last played back in January, winning 39-38. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Pelion's Lucas New, who scored 19 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Silver Bluff still be able to contain New? There's only one way to find out.
