Bell hasn't had much luck against Lafayette recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bell Bulldogs will welcome the Lafayette Hornets at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Bell didn't have too much trouble with St. John Lutheran as they won 48-30. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
| 01/14/25 vs St. John Lutheran | 3 |
| 01/13/25 @ Bronson | 7 |
| 01/10/25 vs Dixie County | 8 |
Bell got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Maddie Smith out in front who posted 15 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Smith has been hot recently, having posted three or more steals the last three times she's played. Lizzie Bagby was another key player, putting up seven points in addition to five boards and three steals.
Bell 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 15 consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Lafayette on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Jefferson County out of the water with a 63-6 final score. The Hornets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 23 points or more this season.
Bell better keep an eye on Kiley Beach. She was instrumental in Lafayette's win, going 14 for 20 en route to 30 points along with five assists and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Beach is now averaging an impressive 2.1 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Havyn Richardson, who went 6 of 13 on her way to 15 points and six steals.
Lafayette has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.0 points per game. As for Bell, their win bumped their record up to 7-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Bell has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Lafayette struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Bell was taken down by Lafayette 55-16 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. That match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Bell was down 45-12.
