After both Scotland varsity basketball squads picked up big wins against Anson County on Wednesday, they now turn their attention to their state rival, Marlboro County.

Hailing from Bennettsville, South Carolina, the Bulldogs and the Scots are separated by just 15 miles.

For Scotland girl's coach David Johnson, whose been on both sides of the border rivalry, he knows that it's going to be a battle for his players.

"It's always big when you go back there,"said Johnson, who once coached at Marlboro. "There's always alot of fans that you know. The crowd is always wild."

The Lady Scots split last season's match-ups with the Lady Bulldogs. Scotland lost a one-point heartbreaker (59-58) at home before returning the favor at Marlboro's place, 50-45.

"They've got a great team. Coach Collins does a good job there," Johnson said. "They have aggressive players that are going to pressure us, and they know what kind of game they want to play."

The main question for the Lady Scots (4-1) going into tonight's match-up will be the status of Brittany Dockery and Tierra Pate.

As I mentioned in Thursday's Exchange, Dockery suffered a back injury during Monday night's win at Pine Forest. Pate suffered a shoulder injury during Tuesday's practice. Their status for tonight is uncertain.

The Scotland boys got to celebrate their first win of the season Wednesday night, but tonight, it's back to work.

The Scots look to pick up their second win of the season, who like their female counterparts, split their season series a year ago with the Bulldogs.

Interestingly enough, both games went to overtime last season. Scotland fell at home by four (59-55) before taking the second game on the road in overtime by three (49-46).

"The win (from Wednesday) definitely gives us some momentum to go into a game. It gives the kids some confidence," said Scotland coach Mike Ritchie. "Now we've got to step it up to another level because it's a whole different atmosphere over there (Marlboro Co.)."

The overtime win at Marlboro last year is still fresh in Ritchie's mind, but he knows that having the players in control, despite the rivalry, is going to play a big factor.

"We managed to sneak one out there last year," Ritchie said. "We've got to go there, play under control, and do only your assignment because you can't do someone else's job. Play smart offensively, and have good shot selection. You've got to be able to give yourself a chance. If we get into an up-and-down game with them, we're going to be in trouble."

The girls game tips off at 6 p.m. with the boys game to follow.



Game of the Week

With all the conference championships for football on the line this weekend, games on the hardwood tend to be overlooked this time of year.

Yet, the two winningest college basketball programs can move one step closer to reaching a milestone Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena on the campus of the University of Kentucky.

The Wildcats are just five wins shy of becoming the first program in NCAA basketball history to win 2,000 games. Their opponent is also looking to move one step closer to the 2,000-win plateau as well.

North Carolina, who is nine wins away from 2,000, will look to halt Kentucky from moving closer and in process further their chances for this distinctive honor.

In the last few years, this match-up has been very lopsided with the Tar Heels dominating, but with the departures of some very important components from the Carolina line-up, Kentucky could pull one out on their home floor.

Do not be surprised if you need a media guide or program to find out who all the players on both teams are.

Between the two programs, 17 players are either freshmen or sophomores. The Tar Heels have nine underclassmen on their roster while the Wildcats are not far behind with eight.