Preview: McBee Panthers vs. Central Eagles
McBee has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Central Eagles at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Monday, McBee ended up a good deal behind North Central and lost 62-47.
Despite their loss, McBee saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Darrell Harper, who scored 18 points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Griggs, who scored 13 points along with nine rebounds.
Even though they lost, McBee were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Central's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their fifth straight loss. They took a hard 63-47 fall against Lewisville. While losing is never fun, Central can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 202nd, while Lewisville is ranked 92nd).
Despite the loss, Central had strong showings from Dwayne Louallen, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Tazhir Webber, who scored 21 points. The game was Webber's third in a row with at least ten points. Demetrius Myers was another key contributor, scoring five points along with four steals.
McBee's record now sits at 3-3. As for Central, they have fallen quite a ways from their 17-6 record last season and are now at 1-6.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: McBee hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 51 points per game. It's a different story for Central, though, as they've been averaging only 49.3 points per game. The only thing between McBee and another offensive beatdown is Central. Will they be able to keep them contained?
McBee took a serious blow against Central in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, falling 77-49. Can McBee avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
