West Laurens hasn't had much luck against Baldwin recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The West Laurens Raiders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Baldwin Braves at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
West Laurens is headed into Thursday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Tuesday. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 65-61 heartbreaker at the hands of Academy of Richmond County.
| 01/07/25 @ Academy of Richmond County | 26 |
| 01/04/25 vs Cross Creek | 9 |
| 12/27/24 @ Houston County | 10 |
| 12/21/24 vs Peach County | 4 |
| 12/20/24 vs Harlem | 12 |
Despite the loss, West Laurens saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Brooklyn Jackson went 11 for 13 on her way to 26 points. With that strong performance, Jackson is now averaging an impressive 15.1 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddie Ridgeway, who posted 11 points.
Meanwhile, Baldwin had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 43.8 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They blew past the Fightin' Irish 78-25. The Braves have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 21 points or more this season.
Baldwin's win came from a few key players West Laurens will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kassidy Neal, who went 9 of 14 on her way to 19 points in addition to seven boards and three steals. Her evening made it 14 games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Janaye Walker, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Baldwin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in eight consecutive games.
West Laurens' defeat dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Baldwin, their win bumped their record up to 11-3.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's match: West Laurens has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 53.1% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Baldwin, though, as they've only made 27.6% of their three-pointers this season. Given West Laurens' sizable advantage in that area, Baldwin will need to find a way to close that gap.
West Laurens took a serious blow against Baldwin in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, falling 68-28. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Walker, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 15 rebounds. Now that West Laurens knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
