Preview: Trinity Bulldogs vs. Southwestern Randolph Cougars
Two dominant guards in Dominic Payne and Nathan Ellis are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Trinity Bulldogs will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Southwestern Randolph Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Trinity has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 501 points over their last seven contests.
Trinity fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Randleman on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Tigers 74-69. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Despite their defeat, Trinity saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Payne, who almost dropped a triple-double on 21 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists, was perhaps the best of all. Payne is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Brandon Campbell, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Southwestern Randolph entered their tilt with North Moore with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Southwestern Randolph walked away with a 66-55 victory over North Moore on Tuesday. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Southwestern Randolph had a senior duo take command as Ellis scored 27 points along with five rebounds and Marcus Robertson scored 19 points along with six rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Ellis has scored at least a third of Southwestern Randolph's points. Brayden Chapman was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Trinity's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-7. As for Southwestern Randolph, their victory bumped their record up to 6-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Trinity have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Southwestern Randolph struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Trinity beat Southwestern Randolph 69-56 in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Robertson, who scored 28 points along with five rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Trinity still be able to contain him? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
