Preview: Burlington Cougars vs. Genoa-Hugo/Karval Pirates
Burlington is 7-2 against Genoa-Hugo/Karval since January of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The pair will face off at 3:00 p.m. on January 19th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Burlington will be strutting in after a victory while Genoa-Hugo/Karval will be coming in after a loss.
Burlington scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They took down Calhan 73-58. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Burlington can attribute much of their success to Daniel Chacon, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 21 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Chacon has scored all season. Adan Lopez-Mitchell was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with three steals.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Saturday. They were outmatched by Merino at home and fell 71-31. Genoa-Hugo/Karval was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 44-18.
Trey Smith put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 19 points along with two steals and two blocks.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Burlington's victory bumped their record up to 3-6. As for Genoa-Hugo/Karval, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-5 record this season.
Friday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Keziah Williams and Smith. Williams has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 16.2 points, 2 blocks, and 1.6 steals. For his part, Smith has averaged 21.9 points and 4 steals.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Burlington have been dynamite from deep this season, having only drained 34.7% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Genoa-Hugo/Karval, though, as they've only drained 34.7% of their threes per game this season. 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.
