Basketball Game Preview: Armstrong Trojans vs. Hoopeston Cornjerkers

Armstrong is 0-10 against Hoopeston since February of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Armstrong Trojans will welcome the Hoopeston Cornjerkers at 6:00 p.m. Armstrong will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.

On Tuesday, Armstrong earned a 54-47 win over Watseka.

Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Hoopeston's strategy against Iroquois West on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Hoopeston blew Iroquois West out of the water with a 69-35 final score. The match was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Cornjerkers had established a 29 point advantage.

Armstrong better focus on containing Nick Cardenas and Brayden Walder as the pair were huge in Hoopeston's win. Cardenas went 6 of 8 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points along with six boards and three steals, while Walder went 5 for 10 on his way to 16 points and eight assists. The dominant performance gave Cardenas a new career-high in points. Zach Huchel was another key player, putting up 12 points.

Hoopeston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Armstrong's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-8. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.3 points per game. As for Hoopeston, their win bumped their record up to 16-8.

Armstrong couldn't quite finish off Hoopeston in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 and fell 59-56. Will Armstrong have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.