SouthWest Edgecombe is 2-8 against Washington since January of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars will face off against the Washington Pam Pack at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
SouthWest Edgecombe took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They skirted past Ayden - Grifton 69-66. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cougars have posted against the Chargers since January 10, 2023.
Justin Bridgers
| 02/07/25 vs Ayden - Grifton | 10 |
| 02/05/25 @ Farmville Central | 4 |
| 01/31/25 @ North Pitt | 3 |
| 01/30/25 @ West Craven | 3 |
| 01/28/25 vs Greene Central | 3 |
| + 7 more games |
Justin Bridgers was his usual excellent self, dropping a triple-double on 16 points, 14 boards, and ten blocks. He is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last 12 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Zy Thigpen, who went 5 for 12 en route to 15 points and five assists.
Meanwhile, Washington waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They blew past the Panthers 90-65. With the Pam Pack ahead 47-23 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Washington's win came from a few key players SouthWest Edgecombe will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chaise Smith, who posted 19 points in addition to six assists and five rebounds. What's more, he also racked up two blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2024. Jarryn Payne was another key player, putting up 21 points and seven boards.
SouthWest Edgecombe has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.2 points over those games. As for Washington, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-6.
Tuesday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Thigpen and Smith. Thigpen has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 14.7 points, 2.3 steals, and 4.4 assists on 52.3% shooting. For his part, Smith has averaged 20 points, 2.1 steals, and 6.4 assists.
SouthWest Edgecombe lost to Washington on the road by a decisive 63-49 margin when the teams last played back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Smith, who had 23 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds. Now that SouthWest Edgecombe knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
