Preview: Chico Panthers vs. Foothill Cougars
The Chico Panthers will face off against the Foothill Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
With a playoff game on the line, Chico rose to the challenge on Thursday. They took down the Spartans 60-45. Given Chico's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 101st, while Red Bluff is ranked 538th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Josie Carlos, who scored 24 points along with seven steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Corrina Stephens was another key contributor, scoring six points along with ten rebounds and five assists.
In what's become a running theme this season, Foothill gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 70-28 victory over Las Plumas. With Foothill ahead 37-16 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Lexi Peters was her usual excellent self, scoring 22 points along with five steals. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kalli Smith, who scored five points along with five rebounds and five steals.
Chico's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-8. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.0 points per game. As for Foothill, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 19-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Chico have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Foothill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Chico beat Foothill 70-62 when the teams last played last Tuesday. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Peters, who scored 34 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Chico still be able to contain Peters? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
