A feisty cat fight will be fought when the McKenzie Tigers duke it out with the Opp Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Monday... McKenzie is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 50.5 points per game this season.
McKenzie will bounce into Monday's matchup after beating Red Level, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. McKenzie came out on top against Red Level by a score of 51-42 on Thursday. The win was some much needed relief for McKenzie as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
| 01/02/25 @ Red Level | 8 |
| 02/01/24 vs Brantley | 7 |
| 01/25/24 @ Opp | 6 |
| 12/19/24 vs Andalusia | 6 |
| 01/05/24 vs Georgiana | 5 |
McKenzie got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Quay Jackson out in front who posted 14 points in addition to eight steals and five boards. Those eight steals gave Jackson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Devin Covan, who put up nine points along with seven rebounds and six steals.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 62 points the game before, Opp was a bit more limited in their game on Friday. The contest between them and Andalusia didn't end well, with Opp falling 46-30. The Bobcats have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
McKenzie will have to keep a close watch on DJ Hines and Alan Jones, a pair of players who had a big impact on Opp's prior game. Hines went 8 of 17 on his way to 17 points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals, while Jones had eight points and six rebounds. The match was Hines' third in a row with at least ten points.
McKenzie's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-3. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.3 points per game. As for Opp, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: McKenzie has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Opp struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
McKenzie was able to grind out a solid victory over Opp in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, winning 55-47. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hines, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will McKenzie still be able to contain Hines? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
