Basketball Game Preview: Orangeburg Prep Indians vs. Laurence Manning Academy Swampcats

The Orangeburg Prep Indians and the Laurence Manning Academy Swampcats will face off at 7:45 p.m. on Friday without much rest having both just played. Orangeburg Prep knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matchups -- so hopefully Laurence Manning Academy likes a good challenge.

Orangeburg Prep is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Clarendon Hall: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Orangeburg Prep blew Clarendon Hall out of the water with an 84-25 final score. With the Indians ahead 45-16 at the half, the game was all but over already.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Orangeburg Prep to victory, but perhaps none more so than Tilden Riley, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 boards. Riley's evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Avery Ravenell was another key player, putting up 11 points in addition to five assists and three steals.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Laurence Manning Academy ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They skirted past John Paul II 59-56. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Swampcats have posted since December 6, 2024.

Orangeburg Prep's victory was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-2. As for Laurence Manning Academy, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-8.

Orangeburg Prep beat Laurence Manning Academy 67-59 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. Will Orangeburg Prep repeat their success, or does Laurence Manning Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.