Basketball Game Preview: Friendswood Mustangs vs. La Porte Bulldogs

Friendswood and La Porte are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2016, but not for long. The Friendswood Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the La Porte Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Friendswood is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Iowa Colony just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They took a 76-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pioneers.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for La Porte, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They managed a 62-58 win over Iowa Colony on Friday.

Friendswood better keep an eye on Phillip Ned. He was instrumental in La Porte's win, going 7 of 11 on his way to 21 points and five rebounds. That's the most points Ned has posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Trent Callies, who posted 15 points in addition to seven boards and three steals.

La Porte smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.

La Porte pushed their record up to 21-10 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.5 points per game. As for Friendswood, their defeat dropped their record down to 26-5.

Friendswood skirted past La Porte 71-69 in their previous matchup back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Friendswood since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.