Basketball Game Preview: Hawthorne Hornets vs. Buchholz Bobcats

The Hawthorne Hornets just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Buchholz Bobcats at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hawthorne is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.

On Monday, Hawthorne earned a 54-45 win over P.K. Yonge. Given the Hornets' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 69th, while the Blue Wave are ranked 324th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Hawthorne's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Chasion Wilson, who posted eight points in addition to 15 rebounds and five assists. Dacarion Debose was another key player, going 5 for 8 on his way to 16 points.

Hawthorne smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Buchholz suffered their biggest loss since December 21, 2024 on Saturday. They were dealt a 70-40 defeat at the hands of Newberry. The Bobcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Buchholz's loss dropped their record down to 12-9. As for Hawthorne, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-2 record this season.

Hawthorne didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Buchholz in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 65-60 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hawthorne since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.