Spring Creek is 1-9 against Princeton since November of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Spring Creek Gators will host the Princeton Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Spring Creek is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.5 points per game this season.
Last Tuesday, Spring Creek lost to Beddingfield on the road by a 72-57 margin. The Gators have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Nathan Jackson, who went 8 for 19 on his way to 20 points. Brennan Chambers was another key player, putting up 13 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Princeton was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 48-44 heartbreaker at the hands of North Johnston. While the Bulldogs didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Panthers 14-10 in the first quarter.
Like Princeton, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Evan Pate led the charge by dropping a double-double on 11 points and 16 boards. Those 11 points gave Pate a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Garrett Lane, who posted 13 points.
Even though they lost, Princeton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Johnston only pulled down seven offensive boards.
Spring Creek's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Princeton, their loss dropped their record down to 6-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Spring Creek has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 24.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Princeton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Spring Creek came up short against Princeton in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 76-68. Can Spring Creek avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
