Basketball Game Preview: Statesboro Blue Devils vs. Swainsboro Tigers

Statesboro is 8-2 against Swainsboro since January of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The Statesboro Blue Devils will head out to square off against the Swainsboro Tigers at 6:30 p.m. Statesboro will be strutting in after a win while Swainsboro will be coming in after a loss.

Swainsboro will be up against a hot Statesboro team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Statesboro enjoyed a cozy 64-50 victory over South Effingham on Tuesday. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 68th, while the Mustangs are ranked 383rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Muhammad Shareef had a dynamite game for Statesboro, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 11 boards. Those 25 points gave Shareef a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ja'Caiden Cone, who went 7 for 16 en route to 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals.

Meanwhile, Swainsboro was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 62-57 to Toombs County.

Statesboro is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 games, which provided a nice bump to their 17-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.4 points per game. As for Swainsboro, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8.

Everything came up roses for Statesboro against Swainsboro in their previous meeting back in January, as the team secured an 88-55 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Statesboro since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.