Basketball Game Preview: Blackhawk Cougars vs. Franklin Knights

The Blackhawk Cougars will face off against the Franklin Knights at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Blackhawk is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57 points per game this season.

Blackhawk heads in on the heels of a playoff contest on Saturday. They fell just short of Oakland Catholic by a score of 52-50. The Cougars' loss signaled the end of their 16-game winning streak.

Aubree Hupp

Points

03/01/25 vs Oakland Catholic	20
02/24/25 vs Elizabeth Forward	22
02/20/25 vs Laurel Highlands	27
02/17/25 vs Yough	24
02/10/25 vs North Allegheny	26
+ 26 more games

Blackhawk might have lost, but man, Aubree Hupp was a machine: she went 8-for-15 en route to 20 points and eight rebounds. The match was Hupp's 31st in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Alivia Rabick, who posted eight points in addition to five assists and five boards.

Meanwhile, Franklin posted their closest victory since December 7, 2023 on Saturday. They skirted past Slippery Rock 44-42. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Rockets recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

Blackhawk better keep an eye on Katie Boal. She was instrumental in Franklin's win, dropping a double-double with 23 points and 17 rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which Boal has scored at least a third of Franklin's points. Sydney Stevens was another key player, putting up 11 points.

Blackhawk's defeat dropped their record down to 23-3. As for Franklin, their victory bumped their record up to 16-9.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Blackhawk has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.