St. Pauls hasn't had much luck against Lumberton recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The St. Pauls Bulldogs will take on the Lumberton Pirates in a holiday battle at at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row dating back to last season, St. Pauls turned things around against Red Springs on Tuesday. The stars were shining brightly for them in a 51-33 victory over the Red Devils. The Bulldogs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Lumberton entered their tilt with Whiteville on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They breezed by the Wolfpack to the tune of 61-29. That 32 point margin sets a new team best for the Pirates this season.
St. Pauls better keep an eye on Jaiden Shephard. He was instrumental in Lumberton's win, dropping a double-double on 28 points and 21 rebounds. Shephard has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more boards the last 32 times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Amare Jones, who posted 12 points along with seven boards and five assists.
Lumberton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in February.
Lumberton is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.0 points per game. As for St. Pauls, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
St. Pauls came up short against Lumberton when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 55-49. Can St. Pauls avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
