Having just played yesterday, the Hialeah Gardens Gladiators will get right back to it and host the Killian Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hialeah Gardens is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 56.7 points per game this season.
Hialeah Gardens is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by iMater Charter to the tune of 78-39 on Wednesday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Gladiators with their most commanding win of the season.
Hialeah Gardens' success was spearheaded by the efforts of Sean Leon, who posted 20 points along with seven boards and five assists, and Eduardo Hernandez, who put up 28 points in addition to five boards and three steals. Hernandez is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Hamlet Rodriguez, who had ten points in addition to seven rebounds and six assists.
Hialeah Gardens smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 19 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Killian came up short against Goleman on Tuesday, falling 71-46.
Hialeah Gardens will have to keep a close watch on Matthew Gonzalez and Christian Torres, a pair of players who had a big impact on Killian's prior game. Gonzalez posted eight points, while Torres put up 13 points.
Killian has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Hialeah Gardens, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hialeah Gardens has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Killian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Hialeah Gardens against Killian in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 64-27 victory. Will Hialeah Gardens repeat their success, or does Killian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
