Basketball Game Preview: Central Eagles vs. Cheraw Braves

Two dominant guards in Tazhir Webber and De'Shaun Drake are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Central Eagles will square off against the Cheraw Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Central knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 games -- so hopefully Cheraw likes a good challenge.

Central will head into Friday's match having proved themselves against Chesterfield: Central took a 26-point defeat the last time they faced off against Chesterfield, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Central sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 67-65 win over Chesterfield on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since December 27, 2024.

Caden Edmond

Rebounds

01/31/25 vs Chesterfield	12
01/25/25 @ York Prep	16
01/24/25 @ North Central	13
01/17/25 @ Andrew Jackson	8
01/14/25 vs Buford	13

Central relied on the efforts of Caden Edmond, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Webber, who posted 17 points. Edmond has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more boards the last ten times he's played. Another player making a difference was Aiden Short, who scored six points.

Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in 14 consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Cheraw earned a 52-42 win over North Central on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Braves.

Central has also been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a massive bump to their 14-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.5 points per game. As for Cheraw, their record now sits at 9-11.

Central beat Cheraw 68-61 in their previous meeting back in January. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Drake, who went 9 for 15 en route to 25 points and eight rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Central still be able to contain Drake? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.