Preview: Gaffney Indians vs. Boiling Springs Bulldogs
Gaffney has been on the road for three straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Boiling Springs Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Gaffney has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 427 points over their last six matchups.
Even though Gaffney has not done well against Clover recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way last Friday. Gaffney managed a 57-53 win over Clover. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up seven more assists than your opponent, as Gaffney did.
Gaffney's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Shiriah Harris, who scored 22 points along with seven rebounds. Harris has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tianah Hopper, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and five blocks.
Meanwhile, things could have been worse for Boiling Springs, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 48-34 loss to Dorman on Wednesday. While losing is never fun, Boiling Springs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 135th, while Dorman is ranked 32nd).
Despite the defeat, Boiling Springs had strong showings from Brynn Tipton, who scored eight points along with five steals, and Sarah Ezell, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and three blocks. Ezell is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted two or more in the last three games she's played.
Gaffney pushed their record up to 10-4 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.8 points per game. As for Boiling Springs, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last ten games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-11 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Gaffney have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Boiling Springs, though, as they've been averaging only 35.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Gaffney against Boiling Springs when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 56-29 win. Will Gaffney repeat their success, or does Boiling Springs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
