Preview: Hazen Highlanders vs. Interlake Saints
Hazen is 6-0 against Interlake since December of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hazen Highlanders on the road again and play against the Interlake Saints at 6:30 p.m. on January 19th. Hopefully Hazen focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 21 on Wednesday.
Hazen struggled with threes on Wednesday (Mercer Island had five more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Hazen took a 60-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mercer Island.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Dakota Nap, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games she's played. Makenna Garrett was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Interlake was able to grind out a solid win over Sammamish on Monday, taking the game 48-41. The win was just what Interlake needed coming off of a 72-32 defeat in their prior game.
Interlake's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Quinn Price, who scored 16 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Price has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Cammy Roed, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Hazen now has a losing record at 8-9. As for Interlake, their win bumped their record up to 3-8.
Friday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Nap and Harper Moore. Nap has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 12.9 points, 2.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks. For her part, Moore has averaged 12.3 points, 1.8 steals, and 3.8 rebounds.
Everything came up roses for Hazen against Interlake in their previous meeting two weeks ago as the team secured a 58-31 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hazen since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
