Basketball Game Preview: Lake Marion Gators vs. Barnwell Warhorses

The Lake Marion Gators will head out on the road to square off against the Barnwell Warhorses at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lake Marion has seven straight wins, Barnwell has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

On Saturday, Lake Marion couldn't have asked for a better start to 2025 than the 62-12 blowout they got against Calhoun County. The Gators have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five contests by 27 points or more this season.

Lake Marion's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zimarika Moorer, who went 8 for 19 on her way to 17 points in addition to eight rebounds and seven steals. Moorer has been hot, having posted three or more steals the last six times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jimyria Green, who went 7 for 14 on her way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

Lake Marion smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, 2025 welcomed Barnwell with a 45-24 loss courtesy of Silver Bluff on Saturday.

Lake Marion pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.7 points per game. As for Barnwell, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.

Lake Marion came up short against Barnwell when the teams last played back in December of 2015, falling 40-30. Can Lake Marion avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.