Basketball Game Preview: Merrol Hyde Magnet Hawks vs. Liberty Creek Wolves

Merrol Hyde Magnet is 0-5 against Liberty Creek since November of 2022 but things could change on Tuesday. The Merrol Hyde Magnet Hawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Liberty Creek Wolves at 7:30 p.m. Merrol Hyde Magnet is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.6 points per game this season.

On Friday, Merrol Hyde Magnet came up short against East Robertson and fell 49-41.

Defeat or not, Merrol Hyde Magnet got some senior leadership from Sam Mullins and Kaleb Potter. Mullins posted 14 points and three steals, while Potter scored eight points and six boards. Mullins 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 Harrison Gill, who earned seven points.

Even though they lost, Merrol Hyde Magnet smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Meanwhile, Liberty Creek strolled past Westmoreland with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 58-39. Given the Wolves' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 116th, while the Eagles are ranked 280th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Liberty Creek's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-6. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.7 points per game. As for Merrol Hyde Magnet, their loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 10-5.

Merrol Hyde Magnet was dealt a bruising 73-36 defeat at the hands of Liberty Creek in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Merrol Hyde Magnet was down 73-11.