In a back-and-forth battle, the Malcolm X Hawks emerged victorious over Olney Central Blue Knights with a thrilling 96-94 win on November 6th at Malcolm X College.

Juaquin Dixon paced the Hawks with 21 points and 8 rebounds, showing leadership on both ends of the floor. He shot an efficient 53% from the field and contributed 5 assists, helping the Hawks control the game’s tempo. Jaloni Johnson matched Dixon’s scoring output with 21 points of his own, connecting on 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc.

The game was a high-scoring affair, with Malcolm X shooting 46.5% from the field and Olney Central closely behind at 50%. However, the Hawks’ superior free-throw shooting (71.9%) proved critical in the final minutes, as Olney Central struggled from the line, converting just 60% of their free throws.

Collin Woods added 14 points for Malcolm X, while Kyle Smith chipped in 13 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.

Olney Central’s Jahlil Bethea was unstoppable, dropping 30 points and making 12 of 19 free throws, but his efforts were not enough to push the Blue Knights past the Hawks. Diovion Famakinde had a solid all-around performance with 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Shawn Brown contributed 15 points off the bench.

The Hawks led 48-46 at halftime, and both teams matched each other in the second half with 48 points apiece, setting up a nail-biting finish. Despite a late surge from Olney Central, the Hawks’ resilience and key defensive stops allowed them to hang on for the win.