Basketball Recap: Middleton Falls Despite Big Games from Tamarcus Smith and Ja'davion Bills

After flying high against Clarksburg last Friday, Middleton came back down to earth. The Middleton Tigers fell to the Bradford Red Devils 51-46. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Red Devils apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Ja'Davion Bills and Tamarcus Smith certainly did their best on Tuesday to avoid the loss. Bills went 6 for 14 on his way to 14 points, while Smith posted 12 points and four steals. Bills is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Cliftavian Davis, who scored five points and three steals.

vs

Previous 1 Games

01/21/25 - Away

46-51 L

Even though they lost, Middleton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Middleton's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 8-6. As for Bradford, they pushed their record up to 17-4 with the win, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season.

When Middleton and Bradford next hit the court, they'll be up against teams who recently just can't seem to lose. Middleton will square off against Humboldt and their five-game winning streak at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Middleton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.5 points per game this season. Similarly, Bradford will try to stop Halls' three-game winning streak when the meet at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.