Basketball Game Preview: Hopedale Blue Raiders vs. Sutton Sammies

The Hopedale Blue Raiders will head out on the road to take on the Sutton Sammies at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopedale is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.

On Tuesday, Hopedale beat Blackstone-Millville 50-38. Given the Blue Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' Massachusetts basketball rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Chargers are ranked 126th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Hopedale's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mikey Rutkowski, who posted 15 points. Those 15 points gave Rutkowski a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Patrick Madden, who put up 17 points.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sutton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They took their match on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 67-25 victory over Douglas. The Sammies' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Hopedale pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.7 points per game. As for Sutton, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Hopedale beat Sutton 36-28 when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Will Hopedale repeat their success, or does Sutton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.