Basketball Game Preview: New Hope Trojans vs. Neshoba Central Rockets

The New Hope Trojans are taking a road trip to challenge the Neshoba Central Rockets at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. New Hope has given up an average of 57.5 points per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

New Hope is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Louisville on Tuesday, sneaking past 68-66. The victory continues a trend for the Trojans in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won five in a row.

Meanwhile, Neshoba Central took their matchup on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 93-58 win over Northeast Lauderdale. The Rockets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 25 points or more this season.

New Hope better focus on containing Kendarius Thomas and Tae'Shaun Shumake as the pair were huge in Neshoba Central's win. Thomas almost dropped a double-double with 22 points and nine boards, while Shumake went 8-for-17 on his way to 23 points and seven rebounds. Shumake's big performance that evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Emjae Willis was another key player, putting up 14 points and four steals.

Neshoba Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.

Neshoba Central's victory bumped their record up to 6-4. As for New Hope, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.

New Hope didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Neshoba Central when the teams last played back in December of 2022, but they still walked away with a 57-53 victory. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Rockets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.