Basketball Game Preview: Lebanon Blue Devils vs. Cookeville Cavaliers

Lebanon is 0-10 against Cookeville since November of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Lebanon Blue Devils will host the Cookeville Cavaliers at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Cookeville will be up against a hot Lebanon squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Lebanon blew past Smyrna 67-15 on Tuesday. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 297th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lebanon got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Tra'Maria Neal out in front who went 5 for 7 en route to 10 points and six boards. That's the most rebounds Neal has posted since back in November of 2024. Maggie Kelley was another key player, going 5 of 6 on her way to 11 points and six boards.

Lebanon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cookeville, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They blew past LaVergne, posting a 65-22 victory.

Lebanon better focus on containing Macy Hudson and Allie Gillies as the pair were huge in Cookeville's win. Hudson went 6 for 9 en route to 16 points and eight rebounds, while Gillies posted 14 points. Another player making a difference was Cara Lee Gilbert, who earned nine points.

Cookeville's win was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.5 points per game. As for Lebanon, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matches, which provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season.

Lebanon came up short against Cookeville in their previous matchup two weeks ago, falling 53-45. Will Lebanon have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.