Basketball Game Preview: Crawford Colts vs. Hilltop Lancers

The Crawford Colts will take on the Hilltop Lancers in a holiday battle at at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Crawford is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 64.1 points per game this season.

Crawford is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering El Cajon Valley just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Braves by a score of 45-42. The match marked the Colts' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Despite their defeat, Crawford saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Mickelson Laguerre, who posted 11 points and six steals, was perhaps the best of all. Laguerre is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Keontae Lewis was another key player, going 5 of 11 on his way to 11 points.

Meanwhile, Hilltop played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Kearny, falling 83-46. The Lancers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 37-12.

Crawford will have to contain Roman Miramontes as he made an impact in Hilltop's last game. He dropped a double-double on 22 points and 17 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrian Alvarez, who had 12 points.

This is the second loss in a row for Hilltop and nudges their season record down to 3-6. As for Crawford, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Tuesday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Crawford hasn't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 6.7 turnovers per game. It's a different story for Hilltop, though, as they've been averaging 20.4 turnovers. Given Crawford's sizable advantage in that area, Hilltop will need to find a way to close that gap.

Crawford took their victory against Hilltop in their previous meeting back in November of 2023 by a conclusive 54-29. The rematch might be a little tougher for Crawford since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.