After losing to the Hillcrest Hornets the last time they met, the Lebanon Yellowjackets decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. Lebanon pulled ahead with a 51-50 photo finish over Hillcrest. Given Lebanon's advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri basketball rankings (they are ranked 99th, while Hillcrest is ranked 223rd), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lebanon's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Wyatt Carr led the charge by scoring 12 points along with seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Ray, who scored 12 points.
Lebanon pushed their record up to 10-3 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.4 points per game. As for Hillcrest, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lebanon will face off against Osage at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Osage is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak. As for Hillcrest, they will head out on the road to face off against West Plains at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
