Basketball Game Preview: Tupelo Tigers vs. Stratford Bulldogs

After both having extra time off, the Tupelo Tigers and the Stratford Bulldogs will dust off their jerseys to face off against one another at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Tupelo has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last five games.

Tupelo is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by Milburn to the tune of 73-41 two weeks ago. The Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 24 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Stratford was not able to break out of their rough patch two weeks ago as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a 44-31 hit to the loss column at the hands of Davis.

Tupelo will have to keep a close watch on Oliver Smithwick and Carson Owens, a pair of players who had a big impact on Stratford's prior game. Smithwick went 7 of 15 on his way to 17 points, while Owens posted eight points and four steals.

Tupelo's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.3 points per game. As for Stratford, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.

Tupelo beat Stratford 53-46 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Smithwick, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Tupelo still be able to contain Smithwick? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.