Basketball Game Preview: Andrew Thunderbolts vs. Oak Lawn Spartans

The Andrew Thunderbolts will face off against the Oak Lawn Spartans at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with three losses in a row, Andrew turned things around against Bradley-Bourbonnais on Thursday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Boilermakers 70-41. Given the Thunderbolts' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 213th, while the Boilermakers are ranked 442nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Oak Lawn, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. They had just enough and edged Evergreen Park out 45-42. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Spartans have posted since February 13, 2024.

Oak Lawn has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.5 points per game. As for Andrew, their victory bumped their record up to 11-13.

Andrew came out on top in a nail-biter against Oak Lawn when the teams last played back in January of 2024, sneaking past 41-38. Will Andrew repeat their success, or does Oak Lawn have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.