Basketball Game Preview: Natchez Bulldogs vs. Greenville Hornets

Two dominant guards in RONIYA ELLIS and Charlisa Barney are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Natchez Bulldogs will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Greenville Hornets at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Natchez has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 173 points over their last three matches.

Last Saturday, Natchez made easy work of Jefferson County and carried off a 57-31 victory. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 20 points or more this season.

Natchez's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from CALEAH KENNEDY, who posted 14 points in addition to seven blocks and five boards. Those seven blocks gave KENNEDY a new career-high. Another player making a difference was PAYGE JACKSON, who went 6 of 10 on her way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

Greenville has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a 62-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of Holmes County Central on Friday. That's two games in a row now that the Hornets have lost by exactly 11 points.

Natchez will have to keep a close watch on Barney and Tatiahnna Wise, a pair of players who had a big impact on Greenville's prior game. Barney went 8 of 17 on her way to 23 points, while Wise put up eight points and nine rebounds. The game was Barney's tenth in a row with at least ten points.

Natchez's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Greenville, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Natchez has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 24.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Greenville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.