The Belfry Pirates will face off against the Tolsia Rebels at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Belfry is coming into the game on a four-game losing streak.
Last Thursday, Belfry ended up a good deal behind Pike County Central and lost 69-51.
Jaxon Estridge
| 02/13/25 @ Pike County Central | 4 |
| 02/08/25 vs Tug Valley | 2 |
| 02/06/25 @ Calvary Baptist Academy | 2 |
| 01/31/25 vs Pike County Central | 3 |
| 01/30/25 @ Mingo Central | 3 |
| + 5 more games |
Despite the defeat, Belfry had strong showings from Jaxon Estridge, who posted 14 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals, and Brody Little, who went 6-for-15 en route to 16 points. That's the most steals Estridge has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Jude, who earned six points.
Meanwhile, Tolsia lost to Dawson-Bryant at home by a 75-60 margin on Saturday. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Rebels came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 104th in West Virginia, while the Hornets are ranked 385th in Ohio).
Belfry will have to contain Dakota Blackburn as he made an impact in Tolsia's last game. He went 5-for-6 to rack up 14 points. CJ Waller was another key player, putting up eight points and seven boards.
Even though they lost, Tolsia was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. This was only their 12th loss (out of 15 games) when they've passed the ball that well.
Tolsia has traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight contests, which has put a noticeable dent in their 3-16 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.6 points over those games. As for Belfry, their loss dropped their record down to 8-17.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Belfry has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Tolsia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Belfry took their victory against Tolsia when the teams last played back in December of 2024 by a conclusive 82-62. Does Belfry have another victory up their sleeve, or will Tolsia turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
