Preview: Streator Bulldogs vs. Reed-Custer Comets
Streator is 1-9 against Reed-Custer since December of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The pair will face off at 6:45 p.m. on January 18th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Streator is hoping to put an end to a 21-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, Streator ended up a good deal behind Herscher and lost 42-23. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Streator in their matchups with Herscher: they've now lost four in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Shantell Morton, who scored two points along with eight rebounds.
Reed-Custer can finally bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They put the hurt on Wilmington with a sharp 45-22 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Reed-Custer has posted since December 5, 2023.
Reed-Custer can attribute much of their success to Kaylee Tribble, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Gwen Stewart, who scored nine points along with six rebounds and six steals. Tribble is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Leah Grace, who scored five points.
Streator's loss dropped their record down to 1-21. As for Reed-Custer, their win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 10-11.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Streator have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 26.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Reed-Custer, though, as they've been averaging only 29.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Streator might still be hurting after the 42-16 defeat they got from Reed-Custer when the teams last played back in November of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Reed-Custer's Mya Beard, who scored 12 points along with seven steals. Now that Streator knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
