Basketball Game Preview: Pollok Central Bulldogs vs. Center Roughriders

Pollok Central is 0-3 against Center since November of 2014 but things could change on Thursday. The Pollok Central Bulldogs will take on the Center Roughriders in a tournament on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Pollok Central took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 49-41 victory over Chireno.

Pollok Central had a senior duo take command as Wyatt Graham went 6 of 12 on his way to 22 points and five rebounds and Jake Matthews dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Graham has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaynin Poage, who posted seven points.

Meanwhile, Center beat Central Heights 54-45 on Tuesday.

Pollok Central better keep an eye on Tim Johnson. He was instrumental in Center's win, dropping a double-double on 21 points and ten boards. Johnson's evening made it nine games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Travis (TJ) Belin Jr, who went 6 of 13 on his way to 13 points and seven steals.

Center's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Pollok Central, their victory bumped their record up to 9-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Pollok Central has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Pollok Central ended up a good deal behind Center when the teams last played back in December of 2022, losing 53-35. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Johnson, who put up 18 points. Now that Pollok Central knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.