Basketball Game Preview: Houlka Wildcats vs. West Union Eagles

The Houlka Wildcats will face off against the West Union Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Houlka is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 60.8 points per game this season.

Houlka is headed into Friday's matchup hungry for a win as their strong season has now been derailed by two straight defeats. They fell 56-45 to West Lowndes on Tuesday.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Elijah Foster, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine boards. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 14 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Winter, who posted 11 points and six boards.

Even though they lost, Houlka smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led West Union over Smithville in every quarter on their way to victory on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that West Union blew Smithville out of the water with a 71-34 final score. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 21 points or more this season.

West Union is also on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 17 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. As for Houlka, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 14-6.

Houlka ended up a good deal behind West Union in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, losing 74-56. Will Houlka have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.