Basketball Game Preview: Decatur Central Hawks vs. Southport Cardinals

Hawks

Points

02/25/25 vs Beech Grove	69
02/22/25 @ University	43
02/21/25 vs Perry Meridian	72
02/14/25 @ Whiteland	50
02/08/25 @ Terre Haute North Vigo	43
+ 17 more games

Decatur Central and Southport are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2015, but not for long. The Decatur Central Hawks will square off against the Southport Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Decatur Central is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57 points per game this season.

Decatur Central took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 69-50 win over Beech Grove.

Decatur Central's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Quintyn Voltz, who shot 54% from the field en route to 19 points. Voltz is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Lavell Love, who went 6-for-12 to rack up 13 points in addition to seven rebounds and six steals.

Decatur Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Southport ended up a good deal behind Lawrence Central on Thursday and lost 73-55.

Decatur Central will have to keep a close watch on Jack Turner and Ty'Reese Burnett, a pair of players who had a big impact on Southport's prior game. Turner shot 53% from the field on his way to 22 points, while Burnett went 5-for-7 en route to 13 points and five boards. What's more, Turner also posted a 57% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in November of 2024. Cristian Webster was another key player, putting up eight points.

Southport has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-11 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.2 points over those games. Decatur Central's record is now 7-15.

Decatur Central couldn't quite finish off Southport when the teams last played back in February and fell 41-38. Can Decatur Central avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.