Preview: Lincolnton Wolves vs. Bunker Hill Bears
Lincolnton and Bunker Hill are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2015, but not for long. The Lincolnton Wolves on the road again on Friday and play against the Bunker Hill Bears at 6:00 p.m. on January 26th. Hopefully Lincolnton focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 22 on Tuesday.
Last Tuesday, Lincolnton lost to West Lincoln on the road by a decisive 54-40 margin. Lincolnton has struggled against West Lincoln recently, as their matchup on Tuesday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Lincolnton's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Curmiya Tillman, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Daphca Dyson who scored five points along with seven rebounds and six steals.
Meanwhile, Bunker Hill's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their ninth straight loss. They took a serious blow against Bandys, falling 75-18. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Bunker Hill has suffered yet this season.
They got a good chunk of their points from the dynamic duo of
Emma Shepherd and
Hayley Spriggle, who each put up four points.
Megan Starnes held things down on the boards with five rebounds.
Lincolnton's defeat was their fifth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 4-13. As for Bunker Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-14.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lincolnton have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bunker Hill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lincolnton came up short against Bunker Hill in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 58-53. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Bunker Hill's Damireona Burch, who dropped a double-double on 37 points and 15 rebounds. Now that Lincolnton knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
