Preview: Hug Hawks vs. Sparks Railroaders
The Hug Hawks will head out on the road to square off against the Sparks Railroaders at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Hug will be strutting in after a victory while Sparks will be coming in after a defeat.
Even though Hug has not done well against South Tahoe recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Hug walked away with a 69-57 win over South Tahoe. The win was some much needed relief for Hug as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Hug's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was David Koul, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 20 rebounds. Koul is absolutely dominating the block category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Bol Makur was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Sparks pushed their score all the way to 57 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 65-57 to North Valleys. Sparks' loss continues an unfortunate trend for the squad, making it nine in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Omar McKenzie, who scored nine points along with 15 rebounds and three blocks. He has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jaoquin Tagulao, who scored 19 points along with five assists and two steals.
Hug's victory bumped their record up to 6-9. As for Sparks, they bumped their record down to 2-13 with that defeat, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season.
Wednesday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Hug have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 37.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Sparks, though, as they've been averaging only 22.8 rebounds per game. Given Hug's sizeable advantage in that area, Sparks will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hug came up short against Sparks in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 58-45. Can Hug avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
