Preview: Monroe Redhawks vs. Central Academy Cougars
Monroe is 10-0 against Central Academy since January of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Having just played yesterday, the Monroe Redhawks will head out on the road to face off against the Central Academy Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on February 13th. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
After a string of three wins, Monroe's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They took a 57-39 bruising from Weddington. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Monroe has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Monroe saw an underclassman step up: Bryson Simpkins scored 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Davis, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Central Academy's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their tenth straight loss. They had to suffer through a rough 69-33 loss at the hands of Forest Hills. Central Academy was down 44-23 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Central Academy's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Zach Mcdowell, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Michael Hoff who scored 14 points. That was a full 42.4% of Central Academy's points, marking the sixth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Monroe's defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-7. As for Central Academy, they dropped their record down to 3-19 with that loss, which was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Monroe hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 55 points per game. It's a different story for Central Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 36.3 points per game. The only thing between Monroe and another offensive beatdown is Central Academy. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Everything came up roses for Monroe against Central Academy in their previous matchup back in January as the team secured a 66-25 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Monroe since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
