Preview: Bridges Prep Buccaneers vs. Whale Branch Warriors
The Bridges Prep Buccaneers will head out on the road to challenge the Whale Branch Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bridges Prep scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They breezed by Royal Live Oaks Academy at home to the tune of 86-15. Bridges Prep has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 20 points or more this season.
Bridges Prep's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from X Butler, who dropped a double-double on 32 points and 13 rebounds. Butler also grabbed two steals for the first time this season. Te'shaun Heyward was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 14 assists.
Meanwhile, after only two points in their last contest, Whale Branch made sure to put some points up on the board against Royal Live Oaks Academy on Monday. Whale Branch claimed a resounding 69-30 victory over Royal Live Oaks Academy on the road. Given Whale Branch's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while Royal Live Oaks Academy is ranked 239th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Whale Branch's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Greggory Gilbert led the charge by scoring 16 points along with five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kevin Jenkins, who scored 13 points along with three steals.
The victory (which was Bridges Prep's third in a row) raised their record to 16-4. As for Whale Branch, their victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-9.
Bridges Prep and Whale Branch were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January, but Bridges Prep came up empty-handed after a 60-59 defeat. Can Bridges Prep avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
