Basketball Game Preview: Douglas Byrd Eagles vs. Purnell Swett Rams

Douglas Byrd is 0-6 against Purnell Swett since January of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Douglas Byrd Eagles are taking a road trip to challenge the Purnell Swett Rams at 7:30 p.m. Douglas Byrd is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.5 points per game this season.

Douglas Byrd is headed into Friday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game on Wednesday. They took a hard 72-55 fall against Harnett Central. While the Eagles didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Trojans 14-8 in the first quarter.

Despite their loss, Douglas Byrd saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Anthony Whitehead, who went 8 for 20 on his way to 22 points, was perhaps the best of all. Whitehead is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Geomari Young, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine boards.

Even though they lost, Douglas Byrd was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Purnell Swett was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They came up short against South View, falling 62-39. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 547th, while the Tigers are ranked 173rd).

Douglas Byrd's loss dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Purnell Swett, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-10.

Douglas Byrd came up short against Purnell Swett in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 60-53. Can Douglas Byrd avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.