Preview: Bennett Clippers vs. Decatur Seahawks
Bennett and Decatur are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2018, but not for long. The Bennett Clippers will head out on the road to take on the Decatur Seahawks at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Bennett knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past five games -- so hopefully Decatur likes a good challenge.
Bennett put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Thursday. They breezed by Mardela at home to the tune of 83-28. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Bennett has managed all season.
Bennett relied on the efforts of Zakai Smullen, who scored 18 points along with six assists and six rebounds, and Jace Hudson, who scored 19 points along with nine steals. Hudson is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last five games he's played. Darion Collins was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, after a string of ten wins, Decatur's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Snow Hill by a score of 64-62. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Decatur has suffered yet this season.
Despite their loss, Decatur saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Brycen Coleman, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Careen Bolden, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and five assists.
Bennett pushed their record up to 7-5 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. They've been dominating during the matchups in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 38 points. As for Decatur, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-1.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as Bennett and Decatur are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Bennett hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 70.2 points per game. It's a different story for Decatur, though, as they've been averaging only 69.5 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Bennett came up short against Decatur in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 65-55. Can Bennett avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
