Basketball Game Preview: Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City Bobcats vs. Sandoval Blackhawks

Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City is 7-1 against Sandoval since February of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Both will face off at 6:00 p.m. without much rest having both just played. The timing isn't great for Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Sandoval has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.

Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Brownstown on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Bombers 51-46. While losing is never fun, the Bobcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 465th, while the Bombers are ranked 114th).

Despite the loss, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City got top-tier performance from Macee Rodman, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine steals. Rodman has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Another player making a difference was Haley Doty, who posted 11 points.

Even though they lost, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Sandoval's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They were dealt a 55-22 defeat at the hands of Father McGivney Catholic. The Blackhawks were down 43-17 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Sandoval's loss dropped their record down to 15-10. As for Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-16.

Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City was able to grind out a solid victory over Sandoval in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, winning 57-46. Does Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sandoval turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.