Basketball Game Preview: DeLand Bulldogs vs. Boone Braves

The DeLand Bulldogs will face off against the Boone Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. DeLand is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 63.3 points per game this season.

DeLand fought the good fight in their overtime match against Flagler Palm Coast last Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Bulldogs 54-49. DeLand has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite their loss, DeLand saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tauren Nicholson, who went 5 of 6 en route to 12 points and seven boards, was perhaps the best of all. The dominant performance also gave Nicholson a new career-high in assists (three). Another player making a difference was Daniel Rodriguez, who went 5 for 11 on his way to 16 points.

Meanwhile, Boone didn't have too much trouble with Lake Buena Vista on Tuesday as they won 70-52. The Braves pushed the score to 61-39 by the end of the third, a deficit the Vipers cut but never quite recovered from.

DeLand's defeat dropped their record down to 9-7. As for Boone, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-11.

DeLand didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Boone in their previous matchup back in December of 2017, but they still walked away with a 41-36 win. Will DeLand repeat their success, or does Boone have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.