Basketball Game Preview: Bell Bulldogs vs. Lafayette Hornets

Bell hasn't had much luck against Lafayette recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bell Bulldogs just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Lafayette Hornets at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Bell will head into Thursday's match on the come-up: they were handed a heart-breaking two-point defeat in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Cedar Key on Thursday. Bell claimed a resounding 63-21 win over Cedar Key. That looming 63-21 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bulldogs yet this season.

Maddie Smith continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 13 for 25 on her way to 31 points and six steals. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellana Stalvey, who posted seven points and four steals.

Meanwhile, Lafayette strolled past Branford with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 48-33.

Lafayette's win came from a few key players Bell will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Sophia Kendrick, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 14 rebounds. Kendrick is crushing it when it comes to boards: she's pulled down at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Jada Copeland was another key player, putting up ten points.

The victory got Bell back to even at 3-3. As for Lafayette, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Bell was taken down by Lafayette 66-35 when the teams last played back in January. Can Bell avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.