The Burrillville Broncos will challenge the Tolman Tigers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Burrillville knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Tolman likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, Burrillville was fully in charge, breezing past Prout 74-42. The Broncos have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matchups by 20 points or more this season.
| 12/28/23 @ Prout | 22 |
| 12/30/23 @ Coventry | 20 |
| 12/27/24 vs Prout | 18 |
| 12/18/24 vs Woonsocket | 15 |
| 12/20/23 vs Mt. Hope | 14 |
Burrillville can attribute much of their success to Sean Zanella, who went 7 of 13 on his way to 18 points, and Logan Gelinas, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 boards. That's the most points Zanella has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Belluzzi, who posted five points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Burrillville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Tolman faced Lincoln in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. Tolman lost to Lincoln on the road by a 70-52 margin. The Tigers haven't had much luck with the Lions recently, as the team's come up short the last six times they've met.
Burrillville will need focus on slowing down John Hilaire, one of several Tolman players who made an impact when they last played. He had 13 points and five rebounds. Nicholas Fleury was another key player, putting up 11 points and six rebounds.
Tolman's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Burrillville, they pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's contest: Burrillville has been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 37.3% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Tolman, though, as they've only made 23% of their three-pointers this season. Given Burrillville's sizable advantage in that area, Tolman will need to find a way to close that gap.
Burrillville took a serious blow against Tolman when the teams last played back in February, falling 65-34. Will Burrillville have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
