Grafton has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Bruton Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Grafton only won by two when they last took the court, which might have inspired the 31-point they dealt Poquoson on Wednesday. Grafton breezed by Poquoson at home to the tune of 53-22. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Grafton has managed all season.
Even though Bruton has not done well against Smithfield recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Bruton came out on top in a nail-biter against Smithfield and snuck past 68-65. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Bruton has posted yet this season.
Brandon Freeman was his usual excellent self, scoring 17 points along with five assists and three steals. He hasn't dropped below 15points for six straight games. Khamani Phillips was another key contributor, scoring 16 points.
Grafton pushed their record up to 11-2 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. As for Bruton, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season.
Grafton barely slipped by Bruton in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 53-52. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Freeman, who scored 17 points along with two steals. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Grafton still be able to contain him? There's only one way to find out.
