Preview: Antonito Trojans vs. Moffat Cowboys
The Antonito Trojans will head out on the road to face off against the Moffat Cowboys at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Antonito comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
Antonito lost a heartbreaker when they last took the court, but unfortunately for them the loss they were handed on on Saturday was a bit more commanding. Their tough 61-41 loss to Creede might stick with them for a while. Antonito found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and post nine fewer assists than your opponent.
Antonito's defeat came about despite a quality game from Destanaya Quintana, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 15 rebounds. Quintana is absolutely dominating the rebound category: she's posted at least eight every time she's taken the court this season.
Moffat was handed a 22-point loss in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Antonito last Friday. Moffat skirted past Antonito 45-42. The win was just what Moffat needed coming off of a 49-27 loss in their prior contest.
Moffat can attribute much of their success to Paige Hammel, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Kadence McWilliams, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. Hammel has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last four times she's played.
Antonito bumped their record down to 0-8 with that defeat, which was their seventh straight on the road. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 24.0 points per game. As for Moffat, their victory bumped their record up to 2-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Antonito have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 24.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Moffat, though, as they've been averaging only 33.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Antonito couldn't quite finish off Moffat in their previous matchup last Friday and fell 45-42. Can Antonito avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
