Basketball Game Preview: Akron-Westfield Westerners vs. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Hawks

Akron-Westfield hasn't had much luck against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Akron-Westfield Westerners will host the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Hawks at 7:30 p.m.

Last Tuesday, Akron-Westfield came up short against St. Mary's and fell 63-54. While losing is never fun, the Westerners can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Iowa basketball rankings (they are ranked 272nd, while the Hawks are ranked 89th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 47-45 victory over South O'Brien on Tuesday.

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-8. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.7 points per game. As for Akron-Westfield, their loss dropped their record down to 4-10.

Everything came up roses for Akron-Westfield against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as the team secured a 66-20 victory. Does Akron-Westfield have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.