Basketball Game Preview: Berkley Bears vs. Adams Highlanders

After both having extra time off, the Berkley Bears and the Adams Highlanders will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Berkley is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.2 points per game this season.

Berkley took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They snuck past Southfield Arts & Tech with a 46-42 victory. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 118th, while the Warriors are ranked 292nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Berkley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Caleigh Tracey, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 16 boards. Those 16 rebounds gave Tracey a new career-high. Madi Bonsall was another key player, putting up 13 points along with seven rebounds and six steals.

Berkley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 31 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Adams came up short against Royal Oak last Friday and fell 38-31. The Highlanders have struggled against the Ravens recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Berkley pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.0 points per game. As for Adams, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.

Berkley strolled past Adams in their previous matchup back in February by a score of 49-35. Will Berkley repeat their success, or does Adams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.