Preview: Lakeland Lakers vs. Hamilton Marines
Lakeland is 7-1 against Hamilton since January of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Lakeland Lakers will look to defend their home court against the Hamilton Marines at 7:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
After a string of three wins, Lakeland's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. Their rough 47-23 defeat to Fairfield might stick with them for a while. While losing is never fun, Lakeland can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 320th, while Fairfield is ranked 49th).
Despite their loss, Lakeland saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Katelyn Ryan, who scored 11 points, was perhaps the best of all.
Meanwhile, Hamilton's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They were beaten by Prairie Heights 50-13. Hamilton has struggled against Prairie Heights recently, as their game on Thursday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Lakeland's defeat dropped their record down to 3-15. As for Hamilton, their defeat was their fifth straight at home, which bumped their record down to 3-9.
Everything came up roses for Lakeland against Hamilton when the teams last played back in January of 2023 as the squad secured a 71-14 win. Does Lakeland have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hamilton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
