Boiling Springs hasn't had much luck against James F. Byrnes recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Boiling Springs Bulldogs will be playing at home against the James F. Byrnes Rebels at 6:00 p.m.
Last Tuesday, Boiling Springs took a blow against Riverside, falling 69-39. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 132nd, while the Warriors are ranked 17th).
Despite the loss, Boiling Springs saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Makenzie Kinard went 7 for 13 en route to 22 points and three steals. That was a full 56.4% of Boiling Springs' points, marking the fifth time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Karina Tsisun, who had three points and five blocks.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, James F. Byrnes beat Dorman 64-60 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Rebels.
Boiling Springs better keep an eye on Jaida Johnson. She was instrumental in James F. Byrnes' win, dropping a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds. They are 7-1 when Johnson posts ten or more boards, but 3-4 otherwise. Caroline Turner was another key player, putting up 14 points and seven rebounds.
James F. Byrnes smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.
James F. Byrnes is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.5 points per game. As for Boiling Springs, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.
Boiling Springs came up short against James F. Byrnes when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 54-42. Can Boiling Springs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
