Basketball Game Preview: Laurel Golden Tornadoes vs. Meridian Wildcats

The Laurel Golden Tornadoes will take on the Meridian Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Laurel knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Meridian likes a good challenge.

On Tuesday, Laurel didn't have too much trouble with Callaway as they won 62-48.

Kayllis Walker

Points (Career)

12/09/25 @ Callaway	29
12/10/24 vs St. Patrick	27
11/19/24 @ Jefferson Davis County	25
12/13/24 @ Gautier	24
11/14/24 vs Hattiesburg	24

Kayllis Walker was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double with 29 points and 18 rebounds. Those 29 points gave her a new career-high. Gracelyn Carmichael was another key player, shooting 50% from the field en route to 14 points and five boards.

Laurel smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Meridian ended up a good deal behind Daphne on Saturday and lost 47-28. The matchup marked the Wildcats' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

This is the second loss in a row for Meridian and nudges their season record down to 4-6. As for Laurel, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.

Laurel took their victory against Meridian in their previous matchup on Friday by a conclusive 56-32 score. Will the Golden Tornadoes repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.