Basketball Game Preview: Northwestern Trojans vs. Rock Hill Bearcats

Northwestern is 0-10 against Rock Hill since January of 2020 but things could change on Tuesday. The Northwestern Trojans will host the Rock Hill Bearcats at 6:15 p.m.

Northwestern is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Thursday. They were dealt a 49-12 defeat at the hands of Fort Mill. While losing is never fun, the Trojans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 140th, while the Yellow Jackets are ranked 42nd).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Rock Hill, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 57-32 margin over Nation Ford on Thursday. The Bearcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 25 points or more this season.

Rock Hill's win came from a few key players Northwestern will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chloe Hudson, who went 10 of 20 on her way to 27 points and eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Emine Hollis, who went 5 of 6 on her way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

Rock Hill's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-5. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35 points. As for Northwestern, their loss dropped their record down to 3-9.

Northwestern was dealt a bruising 71-18 defeat at the hands of Rock Hill in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Rock Hill's Aubrey Stevenson, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten assists. Now that Northwestern knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.