Basketball Game Preview: Hillcrest Huskies vs. Hunter Wolverines

The Hillcrest Huskies will venture away from home to face off against the Hunter Wolverines at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday. Hillcrest will be strutting in after a victory while Hunter will be coming in after a loss.

Hillcrest took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They skirted past Cyprus 39-37. The win continues a trend for the Huskies in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won three in a row.

Hillcrest can attribute much of their success to Sam Sebahar, who posted five points along with nine boards and three steals, and Emily Mandel, who earned ten points and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Josie Haddock, who scored seven points.

Meanwhile, Hunter played a tough matchup on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 79-45 loss at the hands of West Jordan. The Wolverines have struggled against the Jaguars recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.

Hillcrest will have to contain Grace Gallagher as she made an impact in Hunter's last game. She dropped a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Gallagher has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 46 times she's played. Natalie Montoya was another key player, putting up seven points in addition to five boards and three steals.

Hunter's defeat dropped their record down to 12-10. As for Hillcrest, their victory bumped their record up to 6-16.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hillcrest has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 25.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hunter struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 38.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Hillcrest was dealt a bruising 58-29 loss at the hands of Hunter when the teams last played back in January. Can the Huskies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.