Basketball Game Preview: Rocky River Pirates vs. Westlake Demons

The Rocky River Pirates will head out on the road to challenge the Westlake Demons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Westlake took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Rocky River, who comes in off a win.

Rocky River took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They managed a 62-58 win over Buckeye.

Michael Swallow was his usual excellent self, going 6 for 8 en route to 18 points and six boards. He is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for four straight games. Henry Ward also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assist of the season.

Meanwhile, Westlake came up short against Lakewood on Friday and fell 52-42. The matchup marked the Demons' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Rocky River will have to contain Andrew Wallenhorst as he made an impact in Westlake's last game. He went 7 of 15 on his way to 22 points and seven rebounds. That's the most boards Wallenhorst has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Hargett, who posted eight points and nine rebounds.

Even though they lost, Westlake smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Westlake's defeat dropped their record down to 10-4. As for Rocky River, their victory bumped their record up to 9-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Rocky River has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Westlake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Rocky River skirted past Westlake 57-54 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Rocky River since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.