Basketball Game Preview: Westran Hornets vs. Slater Wildcats

The Westran Hornets will take on the Slater Wildcats at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Westran proved they can win big two weeks ago (they won by 27) and last Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against South Shelby, sneaking past 46-44. The win continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won seven in a row.

Cruze Haynes

Rebounds (Career)

11/25/25 @ South Shelby	13
12/14/24 vs Nodaway Valley co-op [West Nodaway/Nodaway-Holt]	10
02/20/25 @ Brunswick	7
12/12/24 @ Glasgow	7
11/22/24 @ Brookfield	7

Westran got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Cruze Haynes out in front who dropped a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Those 13 boards gave Haynes a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Chapman, who went 6-for-9 en route to 13 points.

Meanwhile, Slater was able to grind out a solid win over Northwest last Tuesday, taking the game 65-53.

Westran's victory bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Slater, their win bumped their record up to an identical 2-0.

Westran took their victory against Slater when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a conclusive 79-53 score. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.