Preview: Holyoke Dragons vs. Akron Rams
The Holyoke Dragons will head out on the road to square off against the Akron Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Holyoke is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.
Last Friday, Holyoke came up short against Wiggins and fell 48-40. While losing is never fun, Holyoke can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 209th, while Wiggins is ranked 94th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ellie Kleve, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Anessa Colglazier was another key contributor, scoring six points along with 13 rebounds and five steals.
Even though they lost, Holyoke smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wiggins only pulled down ten offensive rebounds.
Meanwhile, Akron made easy work of Haxtun on Friday and carried off a 53-31 win. The win made it back-to-back wins for Akron.
Akron got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Mikenna Weers out in front who scored 13 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Weers has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Kinsey Grauer, who scored 11 points.
Holyoke has not been sharp recently as the team has lost eight of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season. As for Akron, their victory bumped their record up to 10-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Holyoke have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Akron struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Holyoke lost to Akron on the road by a decisive 41-26 margin in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Can Holyoke avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
