Basketball Game Preview: Jonesboro Cardinals vs. Griffin Bears

Jonesboro is 8-2 against Griffin since January of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Jonesboro Cardinals will host the Griffin Bears at 8:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Jonesboro was handed a heart-breaking two-point defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Northside on Tuesday. Jonesboro claimed a resounding 73-40 win over Northside. The Cardinals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 26 points or more this season.

Frank Jackson

Field Goal Percentage

02/11/25 vs Northside	67%
02/07/25 vs Griffin	60%
02/04/25 vs Northside	64%
02/03/25 vs Morrow	63%

Jonesboro's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Frank Jackson, who went 6 for 9 on his way to 14 points and six boards. Jackson is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 45% in the last four games he's played. Calvin Goss was another key player, going 6 of 14 to rack up 15 points.

Jonesboro smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 11 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Griffin had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.2 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They enjoyed a cozy 63-47 win over the Braves.

Jonesboro's victory bumped their record up to 18-8. As for Griffin, they pushed their record up to 17-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.

Jonesboro couldn't quite finish off Griffin when the teams last played on Friday and fell 59-57. Can Jonesboro avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.