Basketball Game Preview: Belfry Pirates vs. Magoffin County Hornets

The Belfry Pirates just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Magoffin County Hornets at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Belfry knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past ten matchups -- so hopefully Magoffin County likes a good challenge.

On Friday, Belfry was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 61-55 to Shroder Paideia Academy. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Pirates came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 155th in Kentucky, while the Jaguars are ranked 432nd in Ohio).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ethan Diles, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 8.3 boards per game. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Estridge, who posted 16 points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Magoffin County won against June Buchanan on Saturday with 96 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Saturday. Magoffin County simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat June Buchanan 96-32. That's two games straight that the Hornets have won by exactly 64 points.

Magoffin County pushed their record up to 4-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 89.3 points per game. As for Belfry, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season.

Belfry couldn't quite finish off Magoffin County when the teams last played back in January of 2023 and fell 62-59. Can Belfry avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.