Basketball Game Preview: Waynesburg Central Raiders vs. Bethlehem Center Bulldogs

The Waynesburg Central Raiders are taking a road trip to square off against the Bethlehem Center Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Waynesburg Central has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with three straight losses, while Bethlehem Center will come in with three straight victories.

Last Thursday, Waynesburg Central ended up a good deal behind Keystone Oaks and lost 48-33. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 336th, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 112th).

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Avery Davis, who posted 22 points and five rebounds. Her evening made it four games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Briena Coon, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten rebounds.

Even though they lost, Waynesburg Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Bethlehem Center on Thursday. They strolled past Bentworth with points to spare, taking the game 49-35.

Bethlehem Center pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.7 points per game. As for Waynesburg Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.

Everything came up roses for Waynesburg Central against Bethlehem Center when the teams last played back in December of 2023, as the team secured a 49-17 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Waynesburg Central since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.