Basketball Recap: Tim Matthews Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Howard Tech

Cleveland won the last time they faced Howard Tech and things went their way on Tuesday too. The Cleveland Blue Raiders walked away with a 73-66 win over the Howard Tech Hustlin' Tigers. Given the Blue Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 122nd, while the Hustlin' Tigers are ranked 376th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Cleveland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tim Matthews, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds. Matthews continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Antonio Westfield, who went 8 for 10 on his way to 18 points.

Blue Raiders

Assists (Career)

01/21/25 vs Howard Tech	22
11/22/24 @ Howard Tech	21
01/07/25 vs Chattanooga Christian	20
12/03/24 @ Chattanooga Christian	20
12/28/24 vs Chattanooga Prep	18

Cleveland was working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since the start of last season.

Cleveland's record now sits at 10-6. As for Howard Tech, they dropped their record down to 1-17 with the loss, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season.

Cleveland will host Rhea County at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Rhea County's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 17 games. As for Howard Tech, they are taking a road trip to challenge Sequatchie County at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Sequatchie County is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 65.6 points per game this season.