Cottondale and Malone are an even 5-5 against one another since November of 2020, but not for long. The Cottondale Hornets are taking a road trip to challenge the Malone Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cottondale is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58 points per game this season.
Cottondale took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They walked away with a 53-41 win over Sneads. The victory was some much needed relief for the Hornets as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
| 01/17/25 vs Sneads | 4 |
| 01/14/25 @ Chipley | 2 |
| 01/09/25 @ Graceville | 2 |
| 01/07/25 @ Blountstown | 3 |
Cottondale got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Cameron Odom out in front who went 5 for 8 on his way to 13 points in addition to six assists and four steals. Odom has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Tramond Collins was another key player, going 7 of 10 en route to 16 points and five rebounds.
Odom wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Cottondale was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sneads only posted seven assists.
Meanwhile, Malone was able to grind out a solid victory over Poplar Springs on Friday, taking the game 60-51. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tigers.
Cottondale better focus on containing Jamerious Sims and Hoke Harkrider as the pair were huge in Malone's win. Sims almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine boards, while Harkrider posted 14 points and seven rebounds. That's the most boards Harkrider has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cooper Ford, who put up nine points.
Malone pushed their record up to 13-6 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.9 points per game. As for Cottondale, their record now sits at 10-8.
Friday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Trashonn Collins and Jackson Welch. Collins has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 16.6 points, 2.1 steals, and 5.4 rebounds. For his part, Welch has averaged 16.1 points, 1.7 steals, and 6.3 boards.
Cottondale strolled past Malone in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 by a score of 50-34. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cottondale since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
