Basketball Game Preview: Grafton Black Hawks vs. Homestead Highlanders

Grafton hasn't had much luck against Homestead recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Grafton Black Hawks will welcome the Homestead Highlanders at 7:00 p.m. Grafton knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past six contests -- so hopefully Homestead likes a good challenge.

Last Friday, Grafton came up short against Port Washington and fell 65-57.

Meanwhile, Homestead came tearing into Friday's matchup with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.9 points), and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 57-55 win over the Blue Dukes. Given the Highlanders' advantage in MaxPreps' Wisconsin basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while the Blue Dukes are ranked 145th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Homestead's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-5. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.4 points over those games. As for Grafton, their loss dropped their record down to 4-18.

Grafton lost to Homestead at home by a decisive 86-69 margin when the teams last played back in January. Will Grafton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.