Preview: Cumberland Pirates vs. Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City Bobcats
The Cumberland Pirates will take on the Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City Bobcats at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Cumberland, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Cumberland sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 40-38 victory over Neoga. The win was just what Cumberland needed coming off of a 49-20 defeat in their prior contest.
Cumberland's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cameron Roedl, who scored 12 points. Another player making a difference was Zack Buescher, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City was the victim of a rough 56-35 loss at the hands of Dieterich on Friday. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City had strong showings from AJ Radloff, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds, and Kaidyn Calame, who scored eight points along with three steals. Those nine rebounds set a new season-high mark for Radloff.
Cumberland's victory bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City, they bumped their record down to 4-4 with that loss, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Wednesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Cumberland have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 20.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City, though, as they've been averaging only 16.8 rebounds per game. Given Cumberland's sizeable advantage in that area, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City will need to find a way to close that gap.
Cumberland beat Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City 71-58 when the teams last played back in December of 2016. Will Cumberland repeat their success, or does Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
