Basketball Game Preview: Highland Hawks vs. Williams Field Black Hawks

The Highland Hawks just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Williams Field Black Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Highland will be strutting in after a win while Williams Field will be coming in after a loss.

Highland took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They took down Cesar Chavez 57-43.

Peyton Jacobsen and Emilee Searle were among the main playmakers for Highland as the former dropped a double-double on 30 points and ten boards and the latter went 6 of 9 on her way to 16 points and eight rebounds. With that strong performance, Jacobsen is now averaging an impressive 15.4 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Addi Riggs, who posted five points and eight assists.

Meanwhile, Williams Field faced Valley Vista in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Williams Field came up short against Valley Vista, falling 61-35. The match marked the Black Hawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Highland will need focus on slowing down Corrine Jones, one of several Williams Field players who made an impact when they last played. She put up 12 points and eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Sophia Carnes, who posted 13 points.

Even though they lost, Williams Field smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in 11 consecutive games.

Highland's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-6. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.7 points per game. As for Williams Field, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-2.

Everything came up roses for Highland against Williams Field in their previous meeting back in January of 2016, as the team secured a 58-24 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Highland since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.