Preview: Newark Memorial Cougars vs. Washington Huskies
Newark Memorial has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Washington Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on January 16th. Newark Memorial will be strutting in after a win while Washington will be coming in after a loss.
Newark Memorial put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They blew past Livermore, posting a 65-18 win at home. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Newark Memorial has posted since December 18, 2023.
Newark Memorial can attribute much of their success to Sydney Scott, who scored 13 points, and Angelina Baca, who scored 14 points. Juliana Barbosa was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Meanwhile, Washington's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fourth straight loss. They took a 58-46 hit to the loss column at the hands of Irvington. While losing is never fun, Washington can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 463rd, while Irvington is ranked 220th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Nia Owens, who scored 13 points along with two blocks. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Zariyah Hughes, who scored ten points along with nine rebounds and two steals.
Newark Memorial's victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-10. As for Washington, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost five of their last six contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-6 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's game: Newark Memorial have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 5.6 threes per game. It's a different story for Washington, though, as they've been averaging only 3.9 threes per game. Given Newark Memorial's sizeable advantage in that area, Washington will need to find a way to close that gap.
Newark Memorial beat Washington 69-56 in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Will Newark Memorial repeat their success, or does Washington have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
