Basketball Game Preview: Northside Patriots vs. Columbus Blue Devils

The Northside Patriots will face off against the Columbus Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Northside is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Shaw just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They took a 40-34 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Raiders. The contest marked the Patriots' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Meanwhile, Columbus came up short against Russell County on Tuesday and fell 70-57.

Northside will need focus on slowing down Jayla Lockhart, one of several Columbus players who made an impact when they last played. She went 5 for 6 on her way to 13 points and eight assists. Those eight assists gave Lockhart a new career-high. Harmony Franklin was another key player, putting up nine points along with five rebounds and three steals.

Columbus' defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 5-4. As for Northside, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Everything came up roses for Northside against Columbus when the teams last played back in December of 2023, as the team secured a 74-33 victory. Does Northside have another victory up their sleeve, or will Columbus turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.