Hawthorne Christian Defenders (Hawthorne, NJ) backers were in high spirits Tuesday as they witnessed their basketball squad thwart the host Butler Bulldogs (Butler, NJ), 39-20 in a non-league bout.

With the win, Hawthorne Christian upgrades its record to 8-5 on the season. The Defenders travel to Saddle Brook (Saddle Brook, NJ) to clash with the Falcons in a non-league bout on Thursday, January 26. The Falcons go into the bout with a record of 1-13. Saddle Brook lost 67-22 in their recent non-league bout against Manchester Regional (Haledon, NJ)

Next up, the Bulldogs clash with the Morris County Tech Devils (Denville, NJ) in a non-league bout, on Thursday, January 26. Butler will attempt to upgrade on its 5-7 season record.