Basketball Game Preview: Banks County Leopards vs. Southwest Patriots

The Banks County Leopards will venture away from home to challenge the Southwest Patriots on Saturday. Banks County knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 12 matchups -- so hopefully Southwest likes a good challenge.

Banks County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They secured an 81-76 W over Chattooga. The score was all tied up 41-41 at the break, but the Leopards were the better team in the second half.

Meanwhile, Southwest came tearing into Wednesday's contest with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.3 points), and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 82-50 win over the Raiders. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 21 points or more this season.

Banks County better keep an eye on Chase Dupree. He was instrumental in Southwest's win, going 11-for-20 en route to 28 points along with seven assists and five boards. The dominant performance also gave Dupree a new career-high in blocks (two). Another player making a difference was Brandon Ashley, who went 7-for-17 on his way to 17 points in addition to six assists and five steals.

Southwest was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Southwest's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-2. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 28 points. As for Banks County, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-11 record this season.