Basketball Preview: Englewood Pirates vs. Arvada Bulldogs
Englewood has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Arvada Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Englewood will be strutting in after a win while the Bulldogs will be coming in after a defeat.
Last Saturday, Englewood escaped with a win against the Grizzlies by the margin of a single free throw, 31-30.
Englewood got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jonae Harris out in front who scored eight points along with 14 rebounds. Harris is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down 11 or more in the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Willow Levicki, who scored two points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Arvada had to suffer through a rough 61-29 loss at the hands of the Saints.
Despite the defeat, Arvada had strong showings from Emma Ngewasi, who scored ten points along with six rebounds, and Taylor Dye, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds. That was a full 34.5% of Arvada's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Englewood's victory bumped their record up to 7-11. As for Arvada, their loss dropped their record down to 10-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Englewood have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Arvada struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Englewood came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bulldogs in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, sneaking past 51-48. The rematch might be a little tougher for Englewood since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
