Hawthorne Christian Defenders (Hawthorne, NJ) backers were pleased Wednesday as they saw their basketball squad hold off the host Butler Bulldogs (Butler, NJ), 47-46 in a non-league bout.

With the victory, Hawthorne Christian upgrades its record to 2-5 on the campaign. The Defenders travel to Glen Rock (Glen Rock, NJ) to play the Panthers in a non-league bout on Friday, January 5. The Panthers come into the bout with a record of 4-3.

Next up, the Bulldogs play the Hawthorne Bears (Hawthorne, NJ) in a non-league bout, on Friday, January 5. Butler will attempt to upgrade on its 3-5 season record. The Bears come into the bout with a 4-4 record after their 54-52 non-league loss to Pompton Lakes (Pompton Lakes, NJ).