Preview: Apex Cougars vs. Green Hope Falcons
The Apex Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Green Hope Falcons at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Friday, Apex came up short against Middle Creek and fell 43-33. While losing is never fun, Apex can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 241st, while Middle Creek is ranked 53rd).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Isabella Pease, who scored eight points along with six rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Green Hope struggled with assists on Friday (Green Level had 13 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. The contest between the pair wasn't particularly close, with Green Hope falling 55-40. They have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Abigail Brown put forth a good effort for the losing side as she scored 18 points along with eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Lee, who scored nine points.
Green Hope struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Apex's loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for Green Hope, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Apex have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 32.6% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Green Hope struggles in that department as they've nailed 37.4% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Apex strolled past Green Hope when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a score of 60-41. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Green Hope's Khasidy Boston, who scored 13 points along with six steals and five rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Apex to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
