Basketball Game Preview: Tooele Buffaloes vs. Hillcrest Huskies

The Tooele Buffaloes will head out on the road to take on the Hillcrest Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Tooele has four straight victories, Hillcrest has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Last Friday, Tooele beat Murray 54-46.

Tooele found their leader in sophomore Kennedy Searle, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 11 boards. The contest was Searle's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Halle Hogan, who posted 11 points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest suffered their biggest loss since December 10, 2024 on Friday. They came up short against Cottonwood, falling 60-38.

Tooele will have to contain Bella Christensen as she made an impact in Hillcrest's last game. She had ten points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Back, who put up seven points along with five rebounds and three steals.

Tooele's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-5. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.3 points per game. As for Hillcrest, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Tooele has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Hillcrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Everything came up roses for Tooele against Hillcrest in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 54-26 victory. Does Tooele have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hillcrest turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.