A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Dooly County Bobcats face off against the Crisp County Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday... Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Dooly County is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They lost 87-66 to Treutlen on Saturday. Even though they lost, the Bobcats' still made a splash on offense and bumped their average scoring up to 50.8 points per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Despite their loss, Dooly County saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sean Sallette, who went 8 of 14 on his way to 20 points in addition to five boards and four blocks, was perhaps the best of all. Sallette is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Javion Sanders, who went 11 for 17 on his way to 20 points.
Even though they lost, Dooly County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Crisp County entered their tilt with Salem on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They greeted the New Year with with an 82-67 victory over the Seminoles. The Cougars pushed the score to 57-37 by the end of the third, a deficit the Seminoles cut but never quite recovered from.
Crisp County's win came from a few key players Dooly County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jaylon Cooper, who went 8 of 18 on his way to 24 points. The game was his fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Zakariyya Dwight, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 14 boards.
Dooly County's defeat was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-8. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.4 points per game. As for Crisp County, their win bumped their record up to 10-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Dooly County has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Crisp County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Dooly County skirted past Crisp County 55-52 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Dwight, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and ten boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Dooly County still be able to contain Dwight? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
