Two dominant guards in Chase Bryson and Quay Watson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Harding University Rams will head out on the road to challenge the Hopewell Titans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Harding University didn't have too much trouble with West Mecklenburg on the road as they won 65-49.
Meanwhile, Hopewell was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Saturday as they fell 83-79 to Lexington. While losing is never fun, Hopewell can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 62nd in North Carolina, while Lexington is ranked third in South Carolina).
Hopewell might have lost, but man, Watson was a machine: he scored 35 points along with eight rebounds. That's the first time this season that Watson pulled down eight or more rebounds. Derrick Eley was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with five assists.
Harding University's win bumped their record up to 5-9. As for Hopewell, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-4 record this season.
Harding University was taken down by Hopewell 80-49 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Harding University was down 50-29.
