Basketball Recap: Javien Smith's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Wharton over Bay City

Wharton was the 92-37 winner over Bay City when they last played one another back in November of 2022, but their luck changed this time around. The Wharton Tigers took a 57-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bay City Blackcats on Tuesday.

Several Tigers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Javien Smith, who posted ten points and seven boards. The dominant performance gave Smith a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jameir Hearne-Robinson, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Wharton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive contests.

Wharton has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-9 record this season. As for Bay City, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-5.

Wharton will face off against Brazosport at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Wharton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.3 points per game this season. As for Bay City, they will challenge Needville at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Bay City is facing Needville at the right time seeing as Needville is stuck on a five-game losing streak.