Basketball Recap: Six Straight Home Victories for Hickory

Hickory waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came out on top against the Mercyhurst Prep Lakers by a score of 60-50. Given the Hornets' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 81st, while the Lakers are ranked 251st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Mercyhurst Prep lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Alex Manendo, who posted 11 points. Tanner Ashton was another key player, putting up 16 points and five rebounds.

Hornets

Previous 6 Games (Home)

12/28/24 vs Mercyhurst Prep	60-50
12/27/24 vs Shenango	61-33
12/20/24 vs Erie	62-55
12/10/24 vs Iroquois	68-40
02/17/24 vs Cambridge Springs	92-68
02/06/24 vs Greenville	60-43

Hickory pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.2 points per game. As for Mercyhurst Prep, they now have a losing record at 3-4.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hickory will welcome Austintown-Fitch at 7:00 p.m. on January 4, 2025. As for Mercyhurst Prep, they will face off against Warren at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Warren knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Mercyhurst Prep likes a good challenge.