Basketball Game Preview: Hiland Hawks vs. Laurel Gators

The Hiland Hawks and the Laurel Gators will round out the year against one another at at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. Hiland will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak.

Last Monday, Hiland earned a 53-42 victory over Tuslaw. Given the Hawks' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Mustangs are ranked 141st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Laurel entered their match against Canfield on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Laurel fell just short of Canfield by a score of 47-45. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Gators have suffered since December 9, 2023.

Hiland pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.1 points. As for Laurel, their loss ended an eight-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 3-6.

Everything came up roses for Hiland against Laurel in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, as the squad secured a 59-24 victory. Will Hiland repeat their success, or does Laurel have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.