Basketball Game Preview: Dooly County Bobcats vs. Macon County Bulldogs

Dooly County and Macon County are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. Both will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

It was a proper cat-fight when Dooly County challenged Perry on Tuesday. Dooly County had to suffer through a 60-31 loss at the hands of Perry. The defeat continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost seven in a row.

Dooly County's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jazlyn Hall, who posted 18 points in addition to seven boards and four steals, and Ja'Kayla Hooks, who had seven points along with 13 rebounds and three steals. Hall is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season.

Even though they lost, Dooly County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in six consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Macon County came tearing into Saturday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Hawks 75-12. The Bulldogs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Dooly County better focus on containing Morgan Cochran and Aniah Lake as the pair were huge in Macon County's win. Cochran went 10 of 18 on her way to 20 points in addition to eight rebounds and six assists, while Lake went 8 of 15 on her way to 21 points and three steals. What's more, Lake also racked up three assists, the most she's had since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Aliyah Lake, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 14 points.

Macon County's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points per game. As for Dooly County, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.

Dooly County was taken down by Macon County 41-12 when the teams last played back in January. Can Dooly County avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.