The Philip Barbour Colts will head out on the road to square off against the Lincoln Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Last Saturday, Philip Barbour took a blow against Logan, falling 59-32.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Izzy Knotts, who posted 11 points in addition to four blocks and three steals. Finley Carpenter was another key player, putting up seven points and seven assists.
Meanwhile, Lincoln had to suffer through a 51-24 loss at the hands of St. Albans. While losing is never fun, the Cougars can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 75th, while the Red Dragons are ranked 16th).
Philip Barbour will have to keep a close watch on Brystol Toth and Sadie Adams, a pair of players who had a big impact on Lincoln's prior game. Toth had six points and seven boards, while Adams earned five points and three steals. Adams is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last three games she's played.
Even though they lost, Lincoln smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in six consecutive contests.
Philip Barbour's defeat dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Lincoln, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Philip Barbour has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 33.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Philip Barbour came up short against Lincoln in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 70-58. Thankfully for Philip Barbour, Ashlyn Riley (who dropped a double-double on 43 points and 12 boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
