Preview: Roosevelt Rough Riders vs. Barberton Magics
The Roosevelt Rough Riders will head out on the road to challenge the Barberton Magics at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Roosevelt will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Ohio Rankings (they are ranked 381st, while Barberton is ranked 93rd).
Last Tuesday, Roosevelt came up short against Cuyahoga Falls and fell 54-42. Roosevelt has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the loss, Roosevelt saw an underclassman step up: Gavin Peeps scored 16 points. It was the first time this season that Peeps scored 15 or more points. Tyrel Ellington was another key contributor, scoring six points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Barberton came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.5 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against Tallmadge by a score of 96-89. Barberton's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Roosevelt dropped their record down to 8-10 with that loss, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Barberton, their victory bumped their record up to 16-2.
Roosevelt came up short against Barberton when the teams last played back in January, falling 57-45. Can Roosevelt avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
