Basketball Game Preview: Douglas Byrd Eagles vs. Purnell Swett Rams

Douglas Byrd is 0-7 against Purnell Swett since January of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Douglas Byrd Eagles will head out to take on the Purnell Swett Rams at 6:00 p.m. Purnell Swett took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Douglas Byrd, who comes in off a win.

Douglas Byrd took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 49-32 win over Harnett Central.

Jazmine Burns and JayLinda Depina were among the main playmakers for Douglas Byrd as the former dropped a double-double on 22 points and 11 boards and the latter dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards. That makes it four consecutive games in which Burns has scored at least a third of Douglas Byrd's points. Another player making a difference was Sheryraye Johnson, who posted five points in addition to eight boards and six assists.

Meanwhile, Purnell Swett played a tough game on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against South View, falling 62-38. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 368th, while the Tigers are ranked 36th).

Purnell Swett's loss was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 4-9. As for Douglas Byrd, they now have a winning record of 6-5.

Douglas Byrd was taken down by Purnell Swett 52-25 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can Douglas Byrd avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.