Basketball Game Preview: Phillips Bears vs. Hubbertville Lions

The Phillips Bears will square off against the Hubbertville Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.

Last Friday, Phillips came up short against Phil Campbell and fell 59-50. The defeat continues a trend for the Bears in their matchups with the Bobcats: they've now lost seven in a row.

Meanwhile, Hubbertville waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They walked away with a 65-54 victory over the Wildcats. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama basketball rankings (they are ranked 201st, while the Wildcats are ranked 426th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Phillips better focus on containing Blaize Wakefield and Kane Rushing as the pair were huge in Hubbertville's win. Wakefield dropped a double-double on 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Rushing went 8 for 16 on his way to 21 points along with seven boards and six assists. The contest was Rushing's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Kade Watkins, who posted six points and nine boards.

Hubbertville was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2024.

Hubbertville's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-5. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.0 points per game. As for Phillips, their loss dropped their record down to 8-13.

Phillips took a serious blow against Hubbertville in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 70-36. Will Phillips have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.