Preview: Preston Knights vs. Philip Barbour Colts
Preston is 1-9 against Philip Barbour since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Preston Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Philip Barbour Colts at 5:45 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Even though Preston has not done well against Grafton recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Preston came out on top against Grafton by a score of 55-45.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Preston to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kaden Bachtel, who scored 12 points along with two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Easton Hayes, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up ten more assists than your opponent, a fact Philip Barbour proved two weeks ago. They walked away with a 62-52 victory over North Marion. The win was just what Philip Barbour needed coming off of a 66-33 defeat in their prior match.
Philip Barbour relied on the efforts of Kaden Humphreys, who scored 16 points along with seven rebounds and three steals, and Trenton Bodkins, who scored 26 points along with six rebounds and two steals. That's the first time this season that Bodkins grabbed two or more steals. Clinton Auvil was another key contributor, scoring six points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Preston's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-7. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.3 points per game. As for Philip Barbour, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Preston have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 38.7% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Philip Barbour struggles in that department as they've made 38.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Preston ended up a good deal behind Philip Barbour in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 63-49. Will Preston have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
