If West Rusk was feeling good fresh off their 64-41 takedown of Gladewater last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The West Rusk Raiders were outmatched by the Hawkins Hawks and fell 65-37. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 821st, while the Hawks are ranked 325th).
Leading Hawkins to victory were Brayden Givens and Eli Smith. Givens dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds, while Smith went 6 of 8 on his way to 13 points along with six boards and five steals. What's more, Givens also racked up three blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2023. Derein Hollman was another key player, putting up ten points.
Raiders
| 12/26/24 @ Hawkins | 37-65 |
| 12/17/24 @ Gladewater | 64-41 |
| 12/14/24 vs Martinsville | 70-61 |
| 12/14/24 vs Non Varsity Opponent | 46-39 |
| 12/13/24 vs Elysian Fields | 40-54 |
West Rusk moved to 7-5 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for Hawkins, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 16-2.
West Rusk didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 40-35 win against Hughes Springs on the 27th. Hawkins has also already played their next game, a 38-34 victory against Carthage on the 27th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
