Basketball Game Preview: Bullard Panthers vs. Center Roughriders

The Bullard Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Center Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Bullard's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last three contests.

Last Monday, Bullard was able to grind out a solid victory over Jefferson, taking the game 65-53. The win was all the more spectacular given the Panthers' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 436th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 151st).

Meanwhile, Center unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They took a hard 68-51 fall against Hallsville.

Bullard will need focus on slowing down JaKevin(Tiki) Robinson, one of several Center players who made an impact when they last played. He posted ten points and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Tim Johnson, who went 6 of 15 on his way to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Center smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive matchups.

Bullard's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-6. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.8 points per game. As for Center, their loss dropped their record down to 10-6.

Bullard was able to grind out a solid win over Center when the teams last played back in November of 2023, winning 74-66. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bullard since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.