Basketball Game Preview: Bessemer City Yellow Jackets vs. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons

The Bessemer City Yellow Jackets will venture away from home to take on the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Bessemer City is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game last Friday. They fell 68-58 to Highland Tech.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jonathan Black, who went 6 for 11 en route to 19 points. Another player making a difference was Tristen Gordon, who posted eight points and ten assists.

Even though they lost, Bessemer City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy). They were the clear victor by a 78-53 margin over Cherryville on Friday. The Gryphons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 22 points or more this season.

Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy has also been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.6 points per game. As for Bessemer City, their loss dropped their record down to 10-7.

Bessemer City strolled past Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 by a score of 76-59. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bessemer City since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.