Basketball Game Preview: Purnell Swett Rams vs. Douglas Byrd Eagles

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Previous Games

02/13/24 - Home	52-25 W
01/19/24 - Away	40-34 W
02/07/23 - Away	81-40 W
01/13/23 - Home	74-45 W
02/15/22 - Neutral	82-31 W
+ 2 more games

Purnell Swett is 7-0 against Douglas Byrd since January of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Purnell Swett Rams will be playing in front of their home fans against the Douglas Byrd Eagles at 6:00 p.m.

Purnell Swett is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against South View on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Purnell Swett came up short against South View, falling 62-38. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 368th, while the Tigers are ranked 36th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Douglas Byrd, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 49-32 win over Harnett Central on Wednesday.

Purnell Swett better focus on containing Jazmine Burns and JayLinda Depina as the pair were huge in Douglas Byrd's win. Burns dropped a double-double on 22 points and 11 boards, while Depina dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards. That makes it four consecutive games in which Burns has scored at least a third of Douglas Byrd's points. Another player making a difference was Sheryraye Johnson, who posted five points in addition to eight boards and six assists.

Purnell Swett's loss was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 4-9. As for Douglas Byrd, they now have a winning record of 6-5.

Everything came up roses for Purnell Swett against Douglas Byrd when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 52-25 victory. Will Purnell Swett repeat their success, or does Douglas Byrd have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.