Basketball Game Preview: Durant Cougars vs. Tampa Bay Tech Titans

Durant is 1-9 against Tampa Bay Tech since January of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Durant Cougars will venture away from home to face off against the Tampa Bay Tech Titans at 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Tech took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Durant, who comes in off a win.

Durant took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 50-41 win over Freedom. The victory was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.

Among those leading the charge was Matthew Suarez, who posted 16 points. The game was his third in a row with at least ten points. Niko Sosa was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.

Durant smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in January of 2024.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Tech lost to Riverview on the road by a 60-42 margin on Tuesday. The Titans have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Durant will need focus on slowing down Dexter Lawson, one of several Tampa Bay Tech players who made an impact when they last played. He earned four points and six boards. Another player making a difference was Zayden Martin, who put up seven points and six rebounds.

Tampa Bay Tech's defeat dropped their record down to 7-16. As for Durant, their win bumped their record up to 5-19.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Durant has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 24.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Tampa Bay Tech struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Durant strolled past Tampa Bay Tech when the teams last played back in December of 2022 by a score of 51-36. Does Durant have another victory up their sleeve, or will Tampa Bay Tech turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.