Two dominant guards in Dane Hatfield and Blake Justice are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hoover Huskies will head out on the road to challenge the Ripley Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Hoover took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They strolled past Nicholas County with points to spare, taking the game 64-47. Given the Huskies' advantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while the Grizzlies are ranked 87th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hoover's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Donovan Brown, who posted 20 points. Brown continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Hatfield was another key player, putting up 20 points.
Meanwhile, Ripley had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.7 points) and they went ahead and made it eight on Saturday. They breezed by the Bruins to the tune of 79-36. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 20 points or more this season.
Hoover better keep an eye on Justice. He was instrumental in Ripley's win, going 7 for 9 on his way to 17 points and four steals. Justice has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Brady Mcvay, who earned eight points.
Hoover's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-1. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.4 points per game. As for Ripley, their victory bumped their record up to 9-2.
Hoover didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Ripley in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 60-54 win. Will Hoover repeat their success, or does Ripley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
