There's no place like home for the Haltom Buffalos, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against Sam Houston by a score of 68-58 on Tuesday. Given Haltom's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 127th, while Sam Houston is ranked 728th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Kuol Atak was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 31 points and 11 rebounds. He hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for 11 straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Baron Smith jr, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.
Several Texans players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Rylan Austin, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Harlem Hayes, who scored 16 points.
Haltom's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-9. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.6 points per game. As for Sam Houston, they are on a nine-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-25.
Haltom will head out on the road to challenge South Grand Prairie at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. South Grand Prairie will roll in looking for their seventh straight win, something Haltom surely won't give up without a fight. As for Sam Houston, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Grand Prairie at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
