Basketball Game Preview: Middle College Cougars vs. New West Charter Eagles

Middle College and New West Charter are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2018, but not for long. The Middle College Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the New West Charter Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Middle College has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Having struggled with seven losses in a row dating back to last season, Middle College turned things around against Animo South Los Angeles on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Panthers 51-16. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Cougars have posted since January 29, 2024.

Meanwhile, New West Charter played a tough matchup on Wednesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 88-28 loss at the hands of Math & Science College Preparatory. The game marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Middle College will need focus on slowing down Liam Hakimi, one of several New West Charter players who made an impact when they last played. He posted nine points.

New West Charter's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 4-2. As for Middle College, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.

Middle College was dealt a bruising 71-39 loss at the hands of New West Charter when the teams last played back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Hakimi, who almost dropped a double-double on 34 points and nine steals. Now that Middle College knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.