Basketball Game Preview: Bacon County Raiders vs. Southwest Patriots

The Bacon County Raiders will head out to square off against the Southwest Patriots on Wednesday.

Last Monday, Bacon County was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 56-52 to Berrien.

Meanwhile, Southwest entered their tilt with Dublin on Saturday with eight consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with nine. They had just enough and edged the Fighting Irish out 79-76. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 50th, while the Fighting Irish are ranked 128th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Southwest's win came from a few key players Bacon County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was C.J. Howard, who went 9-for-22 en route to 25 points along with five boards and four steals. His evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Chase Dupree was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Southwest's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 23-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.3 points over those games. As for Bacon County, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matches, which has put a noticeable dent in their 10-13 record this season.