Basketball Game Preview: Preston Knights vs. Philip Barbour Colts

Preston hasn't had much luck against Philip Barbour recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Preston Knights will head out to face off against the Philip Barbour Colts at 7:30 p.m. Preston is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.9 points per game this season.

Preston fought the good fight in their overtime match against Robert C. Byrd on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 60-59 to the Eagles. The Knights have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Preston might have lost, but man, Easton Hayes was a machine: he went 9 of 16 on his way to 24 points and seven rebounds. Those 24 points gave Hayes a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Aaron White, who almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine boards.

Meanwhile, Philip Barbour scored the most points they've had this season on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough. They fell 70-60 to Liberty.

Philip Barbour dropped their record down to 2-8 with the loss, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.7 points per game. As for Preston, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-4.

Preston didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Philip Barbour in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 61-56 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Preston since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.