Basketball Preview: Boyd County Spartans vs. St. Mary's Cardinals
Boyd County and the Cardinals are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2017, but not for long. The Boyd County Spartans will be playing in front of their home fans against the St. Mary's Cardinals at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Boyd County has struggled recently with four defeats in a row, while the Cardinals will arrive with ten straight wins.
Boyd County struggled with assists last Saturday (the Falcons had eight more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Boyd County was dealt a 62-25 loss at the hands of the Falcons. Boyd County has not had much luck with the Falcons recently, as the team's come up short the last eight times they've met.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Paige Drueke, who scored six points along with five assists.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Monday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Chambers/Wheeler Central 64-18 on the road. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 50-9.
Mya Hedstrom was her usual excellent self, scoring 20 points along with seven steals and five assists. Hedstrom is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Alissa Brabec was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with six assists and two steals.
Boyd County has not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last seven contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season. As for St. Mary's, they are on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 17-2 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Boyd County have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like St. Mary's struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Boyd County suffered a grim 49-29 defeat to the Cardinals in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Will Boyd County have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
