Preview: Brandon Blackhawks vs. Clio Mustangs
Brandon and the Mustangs are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Brandon Blackhawks will head out on the road to take on the Clio Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Brandon is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
Brandon pushed their score all the way to 63 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 68-63 hit to the loss column at the hands of Swartz Creek.
Brandon's loss came about despite a quality game from Riley Abney, who scored 27 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. That was a full 42.9% of Brandon's points, marking the 12th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Jaden Williamson, who scored 15 points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Clio took a serious blow against the Eagles on Tuesday, falling 57-25. Clio was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-11.
Clio's defeat came about despite a quality game from Hannah Lozano, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Brandon's defeat was their fifth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Clio, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Brandon have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Clio struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Brandon came up short against the Mustangs in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 66-61. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Clio's Ellie Neuhaus, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 18 rebounds. Now that Brandon knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
