Basketball Game Preview: Bell Bulldogs vs. Fort White Indians

The Bell Bulldogs will take on the Fort White Indians on Thursday. Bell will be strutting in after a win while Fort White will be coming in after a defeat.

Bell is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Union County as Bell made off with a 59-39 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Bulldogs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Dacy Graham and Maddie Smith were among the main playmakers for Bell as the former dropped a double-double on 21 points and 23 rebounds and the latter went 10 for 19 on her way to 22 points and five steals. Graham is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 11 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jodi Waddle, who posted seven points and six rebounds.

Bell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 19 consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Fort White's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They took a 53-43 hit to the loss column at the hands of Eastside.

Bell will need focus on slowing down Ya'Zuri Hollie, one of several Fort White players who made an impact when they last played. She made all 7 shots she took for 16 points and three steals. That was a full 37.2% of Fort White's points, marking the seventh time in a row she's scored more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Isreal Hart, who made all 5 shots she took racking up 16 points along with four blocks and three steals.

Fort White's loss dropped their record down to 13-7. As for Bell, their victory bumped their record up to 8-12.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bell has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 38 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Fort White struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Bell suffered a grim 40-19 defeat to Fort White in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can Bell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.