Basketball Game Preview: Orange Panthers vs. Williams Bulldogs

The Orange Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Williams Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Orange will be strutting in after a victory while Williams will be coming in after a loss.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Orange turned things around against Northeast Guilford on Monday. They blew past the Rams 60-28. The matchup marked the Panthers' most dominant win of the season so far.

Orange's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Evelyn George led the charge by dropping a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Maura Mcmurtry, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 14 points.

Orange smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in January.

Williams has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They fell 46-39 to Lexington on Saturday.

Orange will have to contain Mi'Keina Springfield as she made an impact in Williams' last game. She went 6 of 13 on her way to 15 points in addition to six rebounds and six steals. Those 15 points gave Springfield a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ry'Leigh Surles, who posted six points.

Orange's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Williams, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Orange has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Williams struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Everything went Orange's way against Williams when the teams last played back in February, as Orange made off with a 62-41 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Orange since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.