Basketball Game Preview: Woodlawn-B.R. Panthers vs. Central Wildcats

Woodlawn-B.R. hasn't had much luck against Central recently, but that could start to change on Friday. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Woodlawn-B.R. Panthers face off against the Central Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Woodlawn-B.R. is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 61.6 points per game this season.

Last Thursday, Woodlawn-B.R. ended up a good deal behind Madison Prep Academy and lost 72-54. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 63rd, while Madison Prep Academy are ranked 12th).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Kelinee Stone, who almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine boards. He has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more rebounds the last 11 times he's played. Kaleb Brandon was another key player, putting up 20 points and five assists.

Meanwhile, Central entered their tilt with St. Martinville on Tuesday with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. They walked away with a 42-30 victory over the Tigers. The team accrued 31 points in the first half and coasted on those for the win.

This is the second loss in a row for Woodlawn-B.R. and nudges their season record down to 15-10. As for Central, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 18 of their last 19 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 22-4 record this season.

Woodlawn-B.R. came up short against Central when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 64-56. Can Woodlawn-B.R. avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.