Basketball Game Preview: LEAD Academy Panthers vs. Smyrna Bulldogs

The LEAD Academy Panthers will head out to challenge the Smyrna Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

LEAD Academy is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against McGavock last Friday. LEAD Academy breezed by McGavock to the tune of 80-39. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 110th, while the Raiders are ranked 316th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was another big night for Anthony Petway, who went 11 for 17 on his way to 28 points in addition to eight assists and eight steals. Those eight steals gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Dreshawn Harvell, who posted eight points in addition to six boards and four steals.

Meanwhile, Smyrna entered their tilt with Valor College Prep on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 72-47 victory. While the Bulldogs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Smyrna's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.5 points per game. As for LEAD Academy, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 6-3.