CLARENDON, Texas (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Thursday night when the surging South Plains College Texans visit the struggling Clarendon College Bulldogs in a men’s junior college basketball matchup at Bulldog Gym.

The Texans (21-6) enter on a seven-game winning streak and sit near the top of the conference standings. The Bulldogs (4-20) have lost eight consecutive games and are mired near the bottom. The teams met just over a month ago, with South Plains securing an 81-57 victory at home on Feb. 2.

South Plains is led by versatile forward Micah Bell, who has been a consistent force. Over his last eight games, Bell is averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists, including a near triple-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a narrow loss at New Mexico on Feb. 19. In the Texans’ most recent win, a 68-63 victory over Howard College on Monday, Bell posted 18 points and seven rebounds.

Clarendon will look to guard Jamari Briggs to provide an offensive spark. Briggs is coming off a 21-point, seven-rebound performance in a 76-64 loss at Odessa on Monday. He has shown scoring bursts, including a 24-point outing against Midland on Feb. 5, but the Bulldogs have struggled to find consistent support. They have not scored more than 71 points during their eight-game skid.

For Clarendon, the challenge will be containing a balanced South Plains attack that has scored 80 or more points in five of its last seven contests. Beyond Bell, Zion Pipkin (15 points vs. Howard) and Antallah Sandlin’el (seven rebounds, five assists vs. Howard) are key contributors.

The Bulldogs’ last win was a 79-74 victory over Western Texas on Jan. 22. To snap their lengthy losing streak, they will need a significant defensive improvement against one of the region’s hottest teams.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CST Thursday at Bulldog Gym.