Basketball Game Preview: Straughn Tigers vs. Opp Bobcats

Straughn and Opp are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Straughn Tigers face off against the Opp Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Last Tuesday, Straughn didn't have quite enough to beat New Brockton and fell 50-47.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Joseph Driver, who went 7 of 15 on his way to 19 points. That's the most points he has posted since back in November of 2024. Noah Fowler was another key player, putting up eight points and three steals.

Opp played in conference for the first time on Tuesday and they got just the result they we're looking for. They came out on top against Pike County by a score of 49-42.

Straughn better focus on containing DJ Hines and Damirian Thompson as the pair were huge in Opp's win. Hines dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten boards, while Thompson went 5 for 10 en route to 16 points. Thompson is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for five straight games.

Opp smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive games.

Straughn's loss dropped their record down to 10-14. As for Opp, their win bumped their record up to 9-10.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Straughn has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 33.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Opp struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.3 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Straughn was able to grind out a solid victory over Opp in their previous matchup last Thursday, winning 53-45. Will Straughn repeat their success, or does Opp have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.