Basketball Game Preview: WestSide Renegades vs. Martinsburg Bulldogs

The WestSide Renegades will venture away from home to take on the Martinsburg Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. WestSide knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matchups -- so hopefully Martinsburg likes a good challenge.

WestSide is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Mingo Central: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that WestSide blew Mingo Central out of the water with a 70-42 final score. The victory continues a trend for the Renegades in their matchups with the Miners: they've now won four in a row.

Austin Bishop

Points

02/25/25 vs Mingo Central	22
02/24/25 vs Shady Spring	16
02/21/25 vs Chapmanville Regional	16
02/18/25 vs Greater Beckley Christian	18
02/14/25 @ James Monroe	16
+ 18 more games

WestSide's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Austin Bishop led the charge by going 8-for-19 en route to 22 points and five boards. That's the most points Bishop has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kadien Vance, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Martinsburg came into Friday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Musselman by a score of 53-44 on Friday. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked eighth in West Virginia, while the Applemen are ranked 44th in West Virginia), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

WestSide pushed their record up to 14-5 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.5 points over those games. As for Martinsburg, their record is now 11-5.

WestSide skirted past Martinsburg 65-62 when the teams last played back in December of 2014. Will WestSide repeat their success, or does Martinsburg have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.