Basketball Game Preview: New Albany Bulldogs vs. South Pontotoc Cougars

The New Albany Bulldogs will take on the South Pontotoc Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

South Pontotoc better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when New Albany really get things going. New Albany was the clear victor by a 65-45 margin over North Pontotoc on Tuesday. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 20 points or more this season.

New Albany had a senior duo take command as Kylan King went 10 for 17 en route to 23 points along with seven boards and three steals and Amari Hubbard almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine rebounds. The dominant performance gave King a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Issac Gilbert, who posted eight points and 13 boards.

Meanwhile, South Pontotoc came up short against Senatobia on Tuesday and fell 64-56.

New Albany is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.0 points per game. As for South Pontotoc, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-8.

New Albany skirted past South Pontotoc 43-40 when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Will New Albany repeat their success, or does South Pontotoc have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.