Preview: Curlew Cougars vs. Neah Bay Red Devils
Two dominant guards in Emma Lena Baker and Ryana Moss are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Curlew Cougars are on the road again on Friday and plays the Neah Bay Red Devils at 6:00 p.m. on February 23rd. Hopefully Curlew focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Saturday.
Last Saturday, Curlew came up short against Almira-Coulee-Hartline and fell 46-36.
Baker put forth a good effort for the losing side as she almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. That was a full 55.6% of Curlew's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Ciana Patterson, who scored four points.
Meanwhile, Neah Bay can now show off 18 landslide victories after their most recent game on Saturday. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 61-30 win over Mount Vernon Christian. The win was nothing new for Neah Bay as they're now sitting on 13 straight.
Neah Bay got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Amber Swan out in front who scored 14 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Swan is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last six games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Moss, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Curlew's loss dropped their record down to 20-3. As for Neah Bay, their victory was their 22nd straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Curlew have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Neah Bay struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Curlew skirted past Neah Bay 55-53 in their previous matchup back in March of 2020. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Neah Bay's Ruth Moss, who scored 18 points. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Curlew to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
