Basketball Game Preview: Bayard Tigers vs. Bridgeport Bulldogs

Bayard is 0-10 against Bridgeport since December of 2020 but things could change on Thursday. The Bayard Tigers will square off against the Bridgeport Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m.

Bayard is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 64 points on Thursday, they were much more limited against Bridgeport on Saturday. They were dealt a 60-20 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Tigers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 49-5.

Bayard better focus on containing Hayes Watts and Gage Nein as the pair were huge in Bridgeport's win. Watts went 5 of 7 on his way to 15 points and five assists, while Nein went 7 for 9 en route to 17 points. That's the most points Nein has posted since back in December of 2024. Zach Lussetto was another key player, putting up nine points and four steals.

Bridgeport smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.

Bridgeport has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a massive bump to their 11-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.7 points per game. As for Bayard, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-13.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bayard has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 32.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Bridgeport struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.