Preview: Harding University Rams vs. Chambers Cougars
The Harding University Rams will be home for the holidays to greet the Chambers Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Harding University is out to stop a four-game streak of losses at home.
On Tuesday, Harding University was beaten by North Mecklenburg 113-47. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Harding University has scored all season.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Chase Bryson, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds. The game was his sixth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was YahYah Abdul-Rashid, who scored 11 points.
Harding University struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Chambers entered their tilt with Hough with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Chambers blew past Hough, posting a 71-18 win on the road. Given Chambers' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 58th, while Hough is ranked 438th), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Maurio Hanson II was his usual excellent self, scoring 17 points along with six rebounds and five steals. That's the first time this season that he grabbed two or more steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Markus Kerr, who scored nine points along with three blocks.
Harding University's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Chambers, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Harding University hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 54.7 points per game. It's a different story for Chambers, though, as they've been averaging only 69.7 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Harding University came up short against Chambers in their previous meeting back in December of 2018, falling 54-48. Can Harding University avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
