Basketball Game Preview: Canon-McMillan Big Macs vs. Hempfield Area Spartans

The Canon-McMillan Big Macs will venture away from home to face off against the Hempfield Area Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Canon-McMillan is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest win since November 30, 2024 on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Mt. Lebanon 54-51. The win was all the more spectacular given the Big Macs' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 126th, while the Blue Devils are ranked 39th).

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Canon-McMillan to victory, but perhaps none more so than Samantha Miller, who posted 18 points and five rebounds. That's the most points Miller has posted since back in January of 2024. Lauren Borella was another key player, putting up 13 points and five assists.

Canon-McMillan was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hempfield Area). They breezed by Connellsville to the tune of 69-37 on Thursday. The Spartans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 22 points or more this season.

Hempfield Area pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 24.8 points. As for Canon-McMillan, they now have a winning record of 6-5.

Canon-McMillan ended up a good deal behind Hempfield Area in their previous matchup back in February of 2021, losing 61-47. Can Canon-McMillan avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.