The Elbert Bulldogs will face off against the Genoa-Hugo/Karval Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Elbert will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
Last Monday, Elbert strolled past Deer Trail with points to spare, taking the game 44-25. The Bulldogs pushed the score to 35-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Eagles cut but never quite recovered from.
Piper Warren
| 02/24/25 @ Deer Trail | 20 |
| 02/21/25 vs Denver Waldorf | 15 |
| 02/20/25 vs Rocky Mountain Lutheran | 17 |
Piper Warren and Melanie Hermes were among the main playmakers for Elbert as the former dropped a double-double with 13 points and 20 boards and the latter posted 16 points and three steals. Warren is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down 15 or more in each of the last three games she's played. Jadyn Schmidt was another key player, putting up three points along with eight boards and six assists.
Elbert smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Genoa-Hugo/Karval, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They came out on top against Otis by a score of 44-35 on Saturday.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval's win came from a few key players Elbert will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kazlei Vaughn, who earned 15 points and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Rylee Kelly, who put up eight points and five steals.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-11 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 22.3 points over those games. Elbert's victory bumped their record up to 9-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elbert has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Genoa-Hugo/Karval struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Elbert didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Genoa-Hugo/Karval when the teams last played back in February of 2019, but they still walked away with a 30-24 win. Does Elbert have another victory up their sleeve, or will Genoa-Hugo/Karval turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
