Preview: Leigh Longhorns vs. Independence 76ers
The Leigh Longhorns will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Independence 76ers at 7:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Leigh has three straight victories, the 76ers have 12 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Even though Christopher scored an imposing 69 points on Wednesday, Leigh still came out on top. Leigh sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 71-69 win over the Cougars.
Leigh's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cooper Smith, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds. Smith continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Caleb Asante, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, Independence pushed their score all the way to 62 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. The match between them and Santa Teresa wasn't particularly close, with Independence falling 77-62. While losing is never fun, Independence can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 951st, while the Saints are ranked 183rd).
The losing side was boosted by Joshua Villanueva, who scored 14 points along with five steals. William Chattmon was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with four steals.
Leigh is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. As for Independence, their defeat was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-17.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Leigh have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Independence struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Leigh beat the 76ers 49-36 when the teams last played back in January. Does Leigh have another victory up their sleeve, or will the 76ers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
