Basketball Game Preview: Cherokee Braves vs. Hayesville Yellowjackets

Cherokee is 10-0 against Hayesville since February of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Cherokee Braves will look to defend their home court against the Hayesville Yellowjackets at 6:00 p.m. Cherokee will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.

Cherokee is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Andrews: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Cherokee blew Andrews out of the water with an 80-29 final score. Fans of the Braves have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

Cherokee got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Daisee Fourkiller-Raby out in front who went 5 of 6 on her way to 12 points in addition to four steals and three blocks. Fourkiller-Raby is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Joscelyn Stamper, who went 5 for 9 on her way to 11 points in addition to five steals and three blocks.

Cherokee smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Hayesville posted their biggest victory since February 9th on Friday. They put the hurt on Swain County with a sharp 52-32 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Yellowjackets.

Cherokee pushed their record up to 5-0 with the victory, which was their 20th straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 57.2 points. As for Hayesville, the win got them back to even at 2-2.

Everything came up roses for Cherokee against Hayesville in their previous matchup back in February, as the squad secured an 82-27 victory. In that matchup, Cherokee amassed a halftime lead of 52-17, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.