Basketball Game Preview: Hug Hawks vs. Eureka Vandals

The Hug Hawks will take on the Eureka Vandals in a holiday battle at at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

Last Saturday, Hug came up short against Dayton and fell 50-41. While losing is never fun, the Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nevada basketball rankings (they are ranked 59th, while the Dust Devils are ranked tenth).

Meanwhile, Eureka was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They had to suffer through a 59-16 loss at the hands of Smith Valley. The game marked the Vandals' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Hug has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.4 points per game. As for Eureka, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 3-3.

Everything came up roses for Hug against Eureka in their previous meeting back in December of 2017, as the squad secured a 79-42 victory. Will Hug repeat their success, or does Eureka have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.