Basketball Game Preview: Malvern Hornets vs. Toronto Red Knights

The Malvern Hornets are taking a road trip to face off against the Toronto Red Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 55-13, which was the final score in Malvern's tilt against Tuscarawas Valley on Saturday. The Hornets have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Meanwhile, Toronto came up short against Southern on Thursday and fell 44-32.

Despite the loss, Toronto saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Jayna Reeves went 6 for 10 to rack up 16 points and eight rebounds.

Even though they lost, Toronto smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive matchups.

Malvern's defeat dropped their record down to 12-9. As for Toronto, they dropped their record down to 9-12 with the loss, which was their third straight on the road.

Malvern ended up a good deal behind Toronto when the teams last played back in February of 2024, losing 54-37. Thankfully for Malvern, Ashton Thomas (who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 12 boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.