The Hilliard Red Flashes will square off against the Madison County Cowboys at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hilliard is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.8 points per game this season.
Hilliard is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 68-33 victory over Lafayette. Given the Red Flashes' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Hornets are ranked 295th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Alyssa Hallman
| 02/08/25 vs Lafayette | 20 |
| 02/06/25 vs Hamilton County | 23 |
| 01/30/25 @ Nease | 17 |
| 01/28/25 @ Fernandina Beach | 18 |
Hilliard relied on the efforts of Alyssa Hallman, who went 6 for 12 en route to 20 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals, and Justice Alderman, who went 6 of 14 to rack up 16 points and five steals. Hallman's evening made it four games in a row in which she has scored at least 17 points. Molly Dean was another key player, putting up nine points and eight steals.
Hilliard was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lafayette only posted four assists.
Meanwhile, Madison County didn't have quite enough to beat Lafayette on Thursday and fell 56-54.
Hilliard will need to focus on slowing down Jaidyn Wesley, one of several Madison County players who made an impact when they last played. She went 8 of 18 on her way to 18 points along with six boards and five assists. Wesley is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 17 or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jahlaya Wilson, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Hilliard is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 16-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.1 points over those games. As for Madison County, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hilliard has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Madison County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hilliard lost to Madison County on the road by a decisive 49-33 margin when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Can Hilliard avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
