By Staff
Scot Beard
The Russellville varsity boys basketball team is preparing to host a tough opponent tonight during the sub-region round of the state playoffs.
The Golden Tigers will host Lee-Huntsville, a team that has already beaten Russellville this season, at 7 p.m.
The two teams met during the Huntsville Times Classic in December with Lee emerging with a 75-62 victory. Russellville struggled early and fell behind by 15 at halftime. The Golden Tigers rallied in the second half, but couldn't get closer than seven points.
"We didn't play the big brother, we played the little brother and got whipped," Russellville coach Michael Smith said after that loss.
That game was for fifth place in the tournament. The stakes tonight are much higher.
The winner of tonight's game will advance to play the winner of the Walker vs. Brookwood game in the opening round of the Regional Tournament at Wallace State Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The loser will go home, its season complete.
One factor in Russellville's advantage is the location of the game. The first time the two squads met, the game was played during the middle of the day and only a few miles from Lee High School – giving the Generals a bit of a home-court advantage as few Russellville fans were able to make the trip.
This time the Golden Tigers will have the home court advantage.
"I feel our chances at home are always better than on the road," Smith said.