Basketball Game Preview: Jefferson Independent Day Cavaliers vs. Lockwood Tigers

Jefferson Independent Day and Lockwood are an even 3-3 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The Cavaliers will venture away from home to challenge the Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Jefferson Independent Day has insisted on making their last three contests complete nail-biters, turning in a record of 2-1 during that stretch of close contests.

Jefferson Independent Day is headed into the game having just suffered their closest loss since January 23rd on Thursday. They fell just short of Jasper by a score of 48-46. The loss put an end to the Cavaliers' undefeated start to the season.

Kohl Thurman

Blocked Shots

12/04/25 vs Jasper	7
12/02/25 vs Greenfield	2
11/25/25 vs Sarcoxie	3

Despite the defeat, Jefferson Independent Day got top-tier performance from Kohl Thurman, who posted 12 points in addition to eight rebounds and seven blocks. Thurman is crushing it when it comes to blocks: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Yousuf Mokhtar, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and 11 boards.

Meanwhile, Lockwood gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Monday. They walked away with a 56-44 win over Golden City. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Having lost for the first time this season, Jefferson Independent Day fell to 2-1. As for Lockwood, their win bumped their record up to 1-0.

Jefferson Independent Day came up short against Lockwood when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 59-54. Can the Cavaliers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.