Basketball Game Preview: Laurel Golden Tornadoes vs. East Central Hornets

Laurel has gone 3-0 against East Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. Both will face off at 5:00 p.m. without much rest having both just played. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Laurel comes in on 20 and East Central on three.

Laurel is headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing Wayne County: they outscored them in every quarter. Laurel was the clear victor by a 51-25 margin over Wayne County on Tuesday. The Golden Tornadoes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 17 games by 20 points or more this season.

Kayllis Walker

Assists (Career)

01/28/25 @ Wayne County	4
11/19/24 @ Jefferson Davis County	2
11/21/24 vs West Jones	2
01/27/25 vs Stone	2
12/15/23 vs Gautier	2

Laurel's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kayllis Walker, who posted 11 points in addition to six boards and three steals. The dominant performance also gave Walker a new career-high in assists (four). Gracelyn Carmichael was another key player, going 6 of 13 en route to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Laurel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in 30 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, East Central's game on Tuesday was all tied up 13-13 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They walked away with a 38-29 win over Vancleave.

Laurel pushed their record up to 25-1 with the victory, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.7 points per game. As for East Central, their win bumped their record up to 6-7.

Everything came up roses for Laurel against East Central when the teams last played on January 3rd, as the squad secured a 63-14 victory. In that match, Laurel amassed a halftime lead of 43-5, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Wednesday.