Basketball Game Preview: Eureka Vandals vs. Hug Hawks

Two dominant guards in Megan Johnson and Cori Carrier are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Eureka Vandals are taking a road trip to challenge the Hug Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Eureka will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.

Eureka is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Smith Valley: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Eureka blew Smith Valley out of the water with a 56-20 final score. The Vandals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 36 points or more this season.

It was another big night for Johnson, who went 11 for 22 on her way to 23 points in addition to eight assists and seven steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 32 games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Natalie Gray, who posted 12 points in addition to six boards and three steals.

Eureka smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 29 offensive boards. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hug, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat Dayton 58-27. The Hawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Eureka better keep an eye on Carrier. She was instrumental in Hug's win, putting up 21 points along with six steals and five boards. That makes it five consecutive games in which Carrier has scored at least a third of Hug's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrea Trujillo, who had ten points and four steals.

Eureka's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Hug, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.