Basketball Game Preview: Hamilton Township Rangers vs. Bishop Hartley Hawks

The Hamilton Township Rangers will face off against the Bishop Hartley Hawks at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hamilton Township knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight contests -- so hopefully Bishop Hartley likes a good challenge.

Hamilton Township will bounce into Thursday's match after beating Bexley, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. Hamilton Township wrapped up 2024 with a 60-41 victory over Bexley. Given the Rangers' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Lions are ranked 404th), the result on Saturday wasn't entirely unexpected.

Hamilton Township's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jovon McBride, who went 7 of 17 on his way to 17 points along with six rebounds and three steals, and Lucas King, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. The game was McBride's eighth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Mark Norton, who posted eight points and seven rebounds.

Hamilton Township smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Bishop Hartley had just enough and edged Fairmont out 65-62 on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Hawks.

Hamilton Township pushed their record up to 8-0 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.3 points per game. As for Bishop Hartley, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.

Hamilton Township was dealt a bruising 73-44 defeat at the hands of Bishop Hartley in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. Will Hamilton Township have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.