Basketball Game Preview: Philip Barbour Colts vs. Robert C. Byrd Eagles

Philip Barbour and Robert C. Byrd are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2019, but not for long. The Philip Barbour Colts will take on the Robert C. Byrd Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Philip Barbour will be strutting in after a victory while Robert C. Byrd will be coming in after a defeat.

Having struggled with three losses in a row, Philip Barbour turned things around against Elkins on Wednesday. They managed a 39-35 win over the Tigers. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Colts' disadvantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 72nd, while the Tigers are ranked 19th).

Philip Barbour can attribute much of their success to Izzy Knotts, who went 8 for 18 en route to 18 points and eight boards, and Taitem Jeffries, who posted six points and 17 rebounds. The game was Knotts' third in a row with at least ten points.

Philip Barbour smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Robert C. Byrd was beaten by East Fairmont 76-23 on Wednesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Bees: they've now lost three in a row.

Philip Barbour's win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 2-5. As for Robert C. Byrd, their loss dropped their record down to 2-9.

Philip Barbour was able to grind out a solid victory over Robert C. Byrd in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 63-50. The rematch might be a little tougher for Philip Barbour since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.