Basketball Game Preview: Hancock Hawks vs. Starkville Yellowjackets

The Hancock Hawks and the Starkville Yellowjackets will round out the year against one another at at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Hancock's defense has only allowed 28.6 points per game this season, so Starkville's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Hancock is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: St. Martin, who was ranked 15th at the time (Hancock was ranked sixth). Hancock walked away with a 45-38 win over St. Martin on Friday.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Starkville). They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 75-43 victory over Olive Branch. The Yellowjackets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 24 points or more this season.

Hancock pushed their record up to 12-1 with the win, which was their 22nd straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.7 points per game. As for Starkville, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-5.