Basketball Game Preview: Ashland Blue Devils vs. Falkner Eagles

The Ashland Blue Devils will venture away from home to face off against the Falkner Eagles at 7:31 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Ashland took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They secured a 46-42 W over Byers. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Blue Devils as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.

Ashland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Corderro Ayers, who posted 11 points and seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Tarrius Walls, who earned seven points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Falkner). They snuck past Jumpertown with a 67-63 win on Tuesday.

Ashland better focus on containing Elijah Mauney and Chris Nunley as the pair were huge in Falkner's win. Mauney almost dropped a double-double on 28 points and nine rebounds, while Nunley went 8 of 10from beyond the arc on his way to 32 points. Mauney's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points.

Falkner is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 4-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.3 points per game. As for Ashland, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.

Ashland came up short against Falkner when the teams last played back in January, falling 63-59. Can Ashland avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.