The Bethlehem Wildcats will head out to square off against the Walton Braves at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Bethlehem has given up an average of 61.5 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
It was a proper cat-fight when Bethlehem challenged Paxton on Tuesday. The Wildcats were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 62-61 to the Bobcats. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 496th, while the Bobcats are ranked 187th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Kolton Amerson, who went 11-for-23 en route to 27 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. Another player making a difference was Kason Paul, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and nine boards.
Meanwhile, Walton strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took down South Walton 50-32. The 50-point effort marked the Braves' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Walton's win came from a few key players Bethlehem will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Robert Morse, who shot 86% from the field to rack up 15 points. Those 86% shooting accuracy gave him a new career-high. Kaden Fuentes was another key player, putting up 12 points and eight rebounds.
Walton's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Bethlehem, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-4 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bethlehem has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Walton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Bethlehem skirted past Walton 38-35 in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Braves turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
