Lions Are Home For First Time This Season After A Thriller At Goreville Friday Night

The Carterville Lions return home this afternoon riding momentum after a hard-fought 69–66 road win at Goreville on Friday night. Carterville controlled the game early, jumping out to an 18–5 first-quarter lead and holding advantages of 30–22 at halftime and 47–32 after three quarters. Goreville made a late run, but the Lions showed composure down the stretch to close it out. It was the kind of road win that builds confidence—and maybe a few gray hairs.

Leading the way was Colton Hawkins, who poured in 28 points and consistently delivered when the Lions needed a basket. Maddox Gulley added 15, while Harper Lustenberger chipped in 13 with timely scoring. Contributions from Zach Snow and Max Lustenberger rounded out a balanced offensive night. Carterville proved they can score, defend, and—most importantly—finish.

That test only gets tougher today as the Lions host the Nashville Hornets in their first home game of the season, an early 4:30 PM tip. Nashville enters with a 7–1 record and plenty of momentum after a dominant 58–29 win over West Frankfort on Friday night. The Hornets have piled up quality wins this season and have shown an ability to control games on both ends of the floor.

It’s a classic early-season measuring stick. Strong opponent. Early start. Carterville will look to feed off the home crowd energy and carry over the grit they showed on the road, while Nashville aims to prove their fast start is no fluke. One thing’s certain—this one should be played at a high level from the opening tip. Tip-off is set for 4:30 PM. Don’t blink.

Join me and John Homan for the call on NewsRadio WJPF (AM1340/99.5FM) and at wjpf.com You can also watch the game on our YouTube livestream here: