Tipton and Hamilton Heights are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2017, but not for long. The Blue Devils will challenge the Huskies at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Tipton has given up an average of 51.1 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
On Saturday, Tipton came up short against Kokomo and fell 60-50. The loss continues a trend for the Blue Devils in their meetings with the Wildkats: they've now lost seven in a row.
Peyton Auler
| 01/24/26 @ Kokomo | 16 |
| 01/17/26 @ Frontier | 20 |
| 01/16/26 vs Northwestern | 15 |
| 01/13/26 vs Wabash | 16 |
Despite their defeat, Tipton saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Peyton Auler, who shot 44% from the field en route to 16 points in addition to six rebounds and five assists, was perhaps the best of all. The contest was Auler's fourth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Grayson McFalls, who almost dropped a double-double with 13 points and nine boards.
Meanwhile, Hamilton Heights waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They strolled past the Braves with points to spare, taking the game 65-51.
Hamilton Heights' win came from a few key players that Tipton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jackson Mikesell, who almost dropped a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in shooting accuracy (86%). Rees Knapp was another key player, going 9-for-16 on his way to 20 points and six boards.
They weren't the only ones working in the assist department: Hamilton Heights was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Hamilton Heights' record now sits at 6-7. As for Tipton, their loss dropped their record down to 5-9.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Auler and Knapp. Auler has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 16.2 points, 1.4 steals, and 4.1 rebounds. For his part, Knapp has averaged 15.9 points and 2.9 boards while shooting 40.4% from the three point line.
Tipton and Hamilton Heights were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in January of 2025, but Tipton came up empty-handed after a 55-54 defeat. Thankfully for the Blue Devils, Gavin Saunders (who shot 4-for-7 from deep and almost dropped a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
