Two dominant forwards in Fatuma Abdi and Kimora Nears are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Crawford Colts will take on the Patrick Henry Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Crawford was able to grind out a solid victory over Madison, taking the game 36-25. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Colts.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Crawford to victory, but perhaps none more so than Abdi, who posted 12 points. Another player making a difference was Aisha Hassan, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, Patrick Henry didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Point Loma on Tuesday, but they still walked away with a 27-21 win. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 557th, while the Pointers are ranked 1136th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Crawford better keep an eye on Ayla Collins. She was instrumental in Patrick Henry's win, putting up six points in addition to five rebounds and five steals. Ayvahlee Ruiz was another key player, posting eight points.
Patrick Henry smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.
Patrick Henry has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season. As for Crawford, the victory got them back to even at 13-13.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Crawford has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Patrick Henry struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Crawford came up short against Patrick Henry when the teams last played back in January, falling 32-19. Can Crawford avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
