Basketball Game Preview: Columbia Blue Devils vs. Bethlehem Central Eagles

Columbia is 2-8 against Bethlehem Central since December of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Blue Devils will challenge the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Columbia has given up an average of 56.1 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Tuesday, Columbia came up short against Colonie Central and fell 57-50. While the Blue Devils didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wolfpack 18-13 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Bethlehem Central put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They rang in the new year with a 66-59 victory over Albany. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Falcons are ranked 265th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Columbia's loss dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Bethlehem Central, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.

Columbia couldn't quite get it done against Bethlehem Central in their previous matchup back in February of 2025 as they fell 69-61. Can the Blue Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.