Preview: Utica Chieftains vs. Fraser Ramblers
The Utica Chieftains will head out on the road to face off against the Fraser Ramblers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Utica is looking to tack on another W to their seven-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
Even though Utica has not done well against Romeo recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Utica had just enough and edged Romeo out 55-53. Given Utica's advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while Romeo is ranked 376th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Utica got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ali Hasan out in front who scored 16 points along with seven rebounds. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Luke Cottingham, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Fraser was able to grind out a solid win over Warren Woods-Tower on Monday, taking the game 55-45.
Utica's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Fraser, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Everything came up roses for Utica against Fraser in their previous matchup back in January as the squad secured a 62-34 victory. With Utica ahead 38-16 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
