It'll be a Battle of the Bugs the Beech Grove Hornets challenge the Morristown Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday... Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Beech Grove took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They snuck past Speedway with a 41-37 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Hornets as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Beech Grove's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Mariyah Marshall, who posted seven points and four steals, and Layla Cranfill, who earned six points and four steals. Another player making a difference was Mylee Boling, who put up seven points in addition to eight boards and three steals.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Morristown beat North Decatur 46-41 on Tuesday. The win was all the more spectacular given the Yellow Jackets' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 231st, while the Chargers are ranked 110th).
Morristown's win came from a few key players Beech Grove will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jayla Keithley, who had six points along with eight rebounds and six assists. That's the most boards she has posted since back in January of 2024. Nevaeh Sanders was another key player, putting up 14 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals.
Morristown smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.
Morristown has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 9-7 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 34.6 points. As for Beech Grove, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Beech Grove has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Morristown struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Beech Grove took their win against Morristown when the teams last played back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 46-23. In that contest, Beech Grove amassed a halftime lead of 31-11, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
