Basketball Preview: Parkland Matadors vs. Hanks Knights
Parkland and the Knights are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Parkland Matadors will head out on the road to face off against the Hanks Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Parkland has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while the Knights will arrive with five straight wins.
Last Tuesday, Parkland was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 49-44 to the Highlanders.
Despite the loss, Parkland saw an underclassman step up: Jayden Whitt scored eight points. Another player making a difference was Keanu Timoteo, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hanks didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against the Conquistadores on Tuesday, but they still walked away with a 53-47 win.
It was another big night for Israel Gonzalez, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. He hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Martin Gomez, who scored nine points.
Parkland dropped their record down to 9-18 with that loss, which was their sixth straight at home. As for Hanks, their win bumped their record up to 15-13.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Parkland have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hanks struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Parkland might still be hurting after the 61-37 defeat they got from the Knights in their previous matchup back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Gonzalez, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 11 rebounds. Now that Parkland knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
