Basketball Game Preview: Lafayette Hornets vs. Bell Bulldogs

Having just played yesterday, the Lafayette Hornets will head out on the road to face off against the Bell Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Lafayette has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Lafayette is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They were the clear victor by a 78-52 margin over Jefferson County on Thursday. With that win, the Hornets brought their scoring average up to 52.2 points per game.

Tywan Williamson went supernova for Lafayette, going 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 29 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. The dominant performance gave Williamson a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jamarcus Smith, who posted six points and 12 boards.

Lafayette smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Bell had to endure an eight-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Everything went their way against St. John Lutheran on Tuesday as Bell made off with a 56-30 victory. The score was all tied up 15-15 at the break, but the Bulldogs were the (much) better team in the second half.

The win snapped Lafayette's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 7-8 record. As for Bell, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-13.

Everything came up roses for Lafayette against Bell when the teams last played back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 61-29 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lafayette since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.