Preview: Eastern Hancock Royals vs. Sheridan Blackhawks
Two dominant guards in McKenzie Koch and Kenzie Garner are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Eastern Hancock Royals will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against the Sheridan Blackhawks at 12:00 p.m. on February 17th. Eastern Hancock knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past ten contests -- so hopefully Sheridan likes a good challenge.
Eastern Hancock had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They enjoyed a cozy 55-40 win over Parke Heritage on Saturday. Given Eastern Hancock's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while Parke Heritage is ranked 109th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Eastern Hancock's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ruby White led the charge by scoring 12 points along with six rebounds and three steals. White has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Koch, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Sheridan came tearing into Saturday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 26 points) and they left with even more momentum. They took down Northeastern 46-31.
Garner continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a double-double on 27 points and nine rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Sheridan's points. Sadie Timme was another key contributor, scoring four points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Eastern Hancock's victory bumped their record up to 24-1. As for Sheridan, their victory bumped their record up to 20-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Eastern Hancock have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sheridan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
