Basketball Game Preview: South Florence Bruins vs. Hartsville Red Foxes

South Florence and Hartsville are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2017, but not for long. The South Florence Bruins will face off against the Hartsville Red Foxes at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. South Florence is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.9 points per game this season.

Last Monday, South Florence came up short against Westside and fell 61-48.

South Florence's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Josh Gamble, who posted 19 points, and Jarius Davis, who earned 14 points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists. That's the most assists Davis has posted since back in February of 2024. Bryson Brockington also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assist of the season.

Meanwhile, Hartsville came into Saturday's game having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They snuck past Hannah-Pamplico with a 60-55 win on Saturday.

Hartsville's win came from a few key players South Florence will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Braden Crawley, who scored 14 points and six steals. Another player making a difference was EJ Smith, who had 11 points and seven boards.

South Florence has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-8 record this season. As for Hartsville, their victory bumped their record up to 6-11.

Everything went South Florence's way against Hartsville when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as South Florence made off with a 63-37 win. Does South Florence have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hartsville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.