Basketball Game Preview: Zion-Benton Zee-Bees vs. Thornwood Thunderbirds + How To Watch

The Zion-Benton Zee-Bees will take on the Thornwood Thunderbirds in a tournament on Friday.

On Wednesday, Zion-Benton ended up a good deal behind Brother Rice and lost 58-41. The loss continues a trend for the Zee-Bees in their meetings with the Crusaders: they've now lost five in a row.

Meanwhile, Thornwood hadn't done well against Joliet West recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds breezed past the Tigers to the tune of 71-43. The Thunderbirds not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since January 19th (when they won 66-38).

Thornwood has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 75.5 points this season. As for Zion-Benton, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.

Zion-Benton skirted past Thornwood 54-51 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Will the Zee-Bees repeat their success, or do the Thunderbirds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.