Preview: South Georgia State Hawks at Andrew Fighting Tigers

CUTHBERT, Ga. (Interstat) — A surging South Georgia State Hawks team visits a struggling Andrew Fighting Tigers squad in a men’s junior college basketball matchup Saturday.

The Hawks (14-8) enter on a five-game winning streak, including a 77-74 road victory over Southern Crescent on Monday. The Fighting Tigers (2-15) have lost 10 consecutive games, most recently an 80-64 home defeat to Gordon State on Wednesday.

The teams met just over a month ago, with South Georgia State delivering a dominant 122-72 home win on Feb. 4.

A key matchup will feature two of the region’s top scorers. South Georgia State is led by Jeremy Anderson, who is coming off a monumental performance. In Monday’s win, the forward played 35 minutes, scoring 27 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Over his last eight games, Anderson has recorded five double-doubles, averaging 16.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per contest in that span.

Andrew will counter with guard Elijah Hightower, who has been a bright spot during the losing streak. He scored 25 points in 35 minutes in Wednesday’s loss and has averaged 20.2 points over his last four games where he saw significant playing time.

Despite the stark contrast in records and recent form, Interstat’s game simulator projects a narrow contest, forecasting a 100-100 tie.

For South Georgia State, consistency beyond Anderson will be crucial. Chandler Thomas (9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) and Reggie White (8 points, 8 assists) were key contributors in the recent win. Andrew will need more production from its supporting cast around Hightower, as Xavier Burkes and Jayden Mangram combined for only 14 points in the last outing.

The Hawks are playing their best basketball of the season, while the Fighting Tigers are searching for their first win since Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for Saturday afternoon at Andrew College.