The Collins Tigers waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with seven straight wins but they left with eight. They walked away with a 74-66 win over St. Helena College and Career Academy. Given Collins' advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 102nd in Mississippi, while St. Helena College and Career Academy is ranked 249th in Louisiana), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Collins' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaylen Willingham, who scored 27 points along with three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Willingham has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Logan White, who scored 15 points along with nine steals.
Collins' victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.6 points per game. As for St. Helena College and Career Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-10 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Collins will take on Richton at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Richton focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 last Thursday. St. Helena College and Career Academy on the road again on Tuesday and play against French Settlement at 7:30 p.m. on January 23rd. Averaging 65.3 so far this season, French Settlement's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so St. Helena College and Career Academy better be ready for a challenge.
