Preview: Kimball Knights vs. Hillcrest Panthers
Kimball is 5-0 against Hillcrest since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Kimball Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Hillcrest Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Kimball scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Sunset 89-11 at home. With Kimball ahead 57-9 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Kimball's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Michael Highschaw, who scored 20 points along with six steals and five assists. Highschaw also scored 15+ points for the first time this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Marri Wickware, who scored 20 points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, the third road matchup was the charm for Hillcrest, as they earned their first road win of the season. They breezed by Molina on the road to the tune of 76-42. The victory was just what Hillcrest needed coming off of a 66-43 loss in their prior match.
Jed-ethan Nansha continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 22 points along with eight rebounds. Nansha also scored 15+ points for the first time this season. Creed Vance was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with four steals.
Kimball's victory bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Hillcrest, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 4-6 record this season.
Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Kimball have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 40.2% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Hillcrest struggles in that department as they've made 38.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Kimball against Hillcrest in their previous meeting back in January as the squad secured a 93-54 win. With Kimball ahead 48-21 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
