Two dominant forwards in Robert Hartford and Zakariyya Dwight are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Columbus Blue Devils will be playing in front of their home fans against the Crisp County Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Columbus unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell to Monroe 50-46. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Columbus in their matchups with Monroe: they've now lost four in a row.
Despite their loss, Columbus saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Hartford, who scored ten points along with six rebounds and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Hartford hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Savon Kelly, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Crisp County's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight defeat. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough 61-40 walloping at the hands of Thomasville.
The losing side was boosted by Dwight, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 62.5% of Crisp County's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Chad Dawson, who scored three points along with two steals.
Columbus' loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-9. As for Crisp County, they dropped their record down to 9-15 with that defeat, which was their sixth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Columbus have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Crisp County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Columbus strolled past Crisp County when the teams last played on Tuesday by a score of 58-40. Does Columbus have another victory up their sleeve, or will Crisp County turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
