Basketball Game Preview: Columbus Blue Devils vs. Shaw Raiders

Columbus hasn't had much luck against Shaw recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Columbus Blue Devils are taking a road trip to face off against the Shaw Raiders at 7:30 p.m. Columbus will be strutting in after a victory while Shaw will be coming in after a loss.

Columbus took a loss when they played away from home back in December of 2024, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 60-50 win over Kendrick.

Columbus got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaireus Johnson out in front who went 6 for 8 on his way to 18 points in addition to eight boards and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Smith Carver, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 13 points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Shaw lost to Spencer on the road by a 60-41 margin on Tuesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Greenwave: they've now lost seven in a row.

Columbus will need focus on slowing down Bryson Denson, one of several Shaw players who made an impact when they last played. He posted nine points. The team also got some help courtesy of Hunter Houseweart, who had nine points.

Columbus is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 6-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.5 points per game. As for Shaw, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.

Columbus might still be hurting after the 60-39 defeat they got from Shaw in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. Can Columbus avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.