Basketball Game Preview: Houlka Wildcats vs. Vardaman Rams

Houlka has gone 10-0 against Vardaman recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Houlka Wildcats will be home for the holidays to greet the Vardaman Rams at 7:30 p.m. One thing working in Houlka's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups.

It was a proper cat-fight when Houlka challenged Potts Camp on Friday. Houlka was the clear victor by a 71-48 margin over Potts Camp. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 122nd, while the Cardinals are ranked 270th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Houlka's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dee Simon, who posted eight points in addition to ten assists and six steals. Simon is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Foster, who went 7 for 11 on his way to 15 points in addition to eight boards and three steals.

Houlka smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Vardaman lost to Bruce on the road by a 73-56 margin on Monday.

Vardaman dropped their record down to 3-6 with the defeat, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Houlka, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.

Houlka was able to grind out a solid win over Vardaman in their previous meeting back in January, winning 65-52. Will Houlka repeat their success, or does Vardaman have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.