Basketball Game Preview: Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs vs. East Duplin Panthers

Wallace-Rose Hill hasn't had much luck against East Duplin recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs will host the East Duplin Panthers at 6:30 p.m.

Last Tuesday, Wallace-Rose Hill was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 41-35 to Kinston. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 398th, while the Vikings are ranked 68th).

Meanwhile, East Duplin came tearing into Tuesday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 33.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 53-20 victory over the Blue Devils. The Panthers pushed the score to 43-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Blue Devils had little chance of recovering from.

East Duplin's win came from a few key players Wallace-Rose Hill will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jamyah Pickett, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 12 rebounds. She is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Zakoya Farrior was another key player, going 6 for 14 on her way to 14 points and six boards.

East Duplin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 32 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 41 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

East Duplin pushed their record up to 14-2 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points per game. As for Wallace-Rose Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.

Wallace-Rose Hill might still be hurting after the 60-35 loss they got from East Duplin when the teams last played back in February of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Wallace-Rose Hill was down 39-13.