HAWKS, TROJANS SET FOR REMATCH THURSDAY

RIVER GROVE, Ill. (Interstat) — A tightly contested men’s junior college basketball matchup is projected Thursday when the Malcolm X Hawks visit the Triton Trojans.

The Interstat game simulator forecasts a 100-100 draw, underscoring the expected competitiveness. The Hawks (12-7) won the season’s first meeting 70-59 on Dec. 4, 2025, in Chicago.

Malcolm X, however, enters on a one-game skid after a 74-63 loss at Vincennes on Saturday. Prior to that, the Hawks had won four straight, including decisive victories over Kennedy-King and Richard J. Daley.

The Hawks are led by guard Joaquin Dixon, who has been a dominant force. In his last four complete games, Dixon averaged 26.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, including a 30-point performance against Wilbur Wright on Jan. 27.

The Triton Trojans (11-12) seek consistency and a signature win to level their record. They also lost their last outing, 96-86 at Sauk Valley on Saturday. Their recent form has been uneven, mixing a 40-point rout of Harry S Truman with losses to Olive-Harvey and Indian Hills.

Triton will counter with forward Papa Kounta, a consistent double-double threat. Kounta is coming off a 21-point, 12-rebound effort against Olive-Harvey and a 24-point, 14-rebound game against Indian Hills.

The game pits Malcolm X’s offensive momentum, averaging 88 points during its recent four-game win streak, against a Triton team that has shown high-scoring potential but defensive lapses.

Following this game, Malcolm X will host Highland (Ill.) on Feb. 24. Triton’s next game is at home against Kankakee on Feb. 24.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST at the Robert M. Collins Center on the Triton College campus.