Preview: Central Academy Cougars vs. Monroe Redhawks
Central Academy is 0-10 against Monroe since January of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Central Academy Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Monroe Redhawks at 7:30 p.m. Central Academy has now lost ten straight, leaving the team is hunting for their first win since December 30.
Last Friday, Central Academy took a serious blow against Forest Hills, falling 69-33. 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.
Meanwhile, Monroe unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Monday. They lost to Weddington at home by a decisive 57-39 margin. Monroe has not had much luck with Weddington recently, as the team's come up short the last six times they've met.
Despite the loss, Monroe saw an underclassman step up: Bryson Simpkins scored 16 points. Another player making a difference was Gavin Davis, who scored six points.
Central Academy dropped their record down to 3-19 with that loss, which was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Monroe, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Central Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Monroe struggles in that department as they've been averaging 21.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Central Academy was taken down by Monroe 66-25 when the teams last played back in January. Will Central Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
