Basketball Game Preview: Dalton Catamounts vs. Daniel Lions

The Dalton Catamounts and the Daniel Lions will compete for holiday cheer at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Daniel will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Dalton extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. The Catamounts blew past Southeast Whitfield County, posting a 65-29 victory. Given the Catamounts' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 165th, while the Raiders are ranked 512th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Daniel, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Fountain Inn 58-55.

Daniel's win came from a few key players Dalton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was James Epting, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine assists. Those nine assists gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jackson Conley, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards.

Daniel's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Dalton, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.