Basketball Game Preview: Westside Rams vs. Belton-Honea Path Bears

The Westside Rams and the Belton-Honea Path Bears will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Westside has three straight victories, Belton-Honea Path has seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Westside is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Carolina's top teams: Mauldin, who was ranked 17th at the time (Westside was ranked 16th). Westside took down Mauldin 58-39 on Tuesday.

Westside's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tiana Marshall, who posted nine points along with five assists and three steals. Marshall is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Khalia Hartwell, who had 15 points in addition to eight boards and five blocks.

Westside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Belton-Honea Path played a tough matchup on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Greenville H, falling 52-17. The Bears were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 25-5.

Westside pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 36.5 points. As for Belton-Honea Path, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.

Everything came up roses for Westside against Belton-Honea Path when the teams last played last Thursday, as the squad secured a 105-18 victory. In that contest, Westside amassed a halftime lead of 63-9, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.