Basketball Preview: Palisades Pumas vs. Olympic Trojans
The Palisades Pumas have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome the Olympic Trojans at 7:30 p.m. on February 6th. Hopefully Palisades is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Trojans in North Carolina (the Pumas are ranked 126th, while the Trojans are ranked 386th).
While Palisades couldn't quite beat the Sabres on Friday, the three-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 36-point loss they were dealt on Tuesday. Palisades fell just short of the Sabres by a score of 52-49.
Despite their loss, Palisades saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kingston Henry, who scored 14 points along with seven assists, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Jyler Standifer, who scored 12 points.
Meanwhile, Olympic came into Wednesday's game having lost eight straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Harding University 56-53.
Olympic found their leader in underclassman CANNON DEBERRY, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 19 rebounds. DEBERRY has been hot recently, having posted ten or more rebounds the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of JADEN HARDNETT, who scored 16 points.
Palisades' defeat dropped their record down to 12-9. As for Olympic, their victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-16.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Palisades have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 42.2% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Olympic struggles in that department as they've made 40.1% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Palisades strolled past the Trojans when the teams last played back in January by a score of 71-55. Will Palisades repeat their success, or do the Trojans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
