Basketball Preview: Rochester Rockets vs. MacArthur Generals
Rochester and the Generals are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. The Rochester Rockets will head out on the road to take on the MacArthur Generals at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Thursday, Rochester earned a 55-47 victory over the Senators. The victory was all the more spectacular given Rochester's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 301st, while the Senators are ranked 106th).
Becca Ryan and Ellie Gegen were among the main playmakers for Rochester as the former scored 14 points along with two steals and the latter scored 19 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gegen has scored all season. Alyse Day was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, MacArthur scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They walked away with a 75-68 win over Champaign Central. The win made it back-to-back wins for MacArthur.
MacArthur got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Khylee Carson out in front who scored six points along with eight steals and six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Casey Jackson, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Rochester pushed their record up to 11-17 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.7 points per game. As for MacArthur, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 11-16 record this season.
Saturday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Rochester have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for MacArthur, though, as they've been averaging only 12.2 rebounds per game. Given Rochester's sizable advantage in that area, the Generals will need to find a way to close that gap.
Rochester didn't have too much breathing room in their match against the Generals when the teams last played back in January, but they still walked away with a 51-47 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Rochester since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
