The Purchase Line Red Dragons will head out to face off against the Ferndale Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
On Friday, Purchase Line ended up a good deal behind Penns Manor and lost 56-42. While losing is never fun, the Red Dragons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 242nd, while the Comets are ranked 31st).
Despite their loss, Purchase Line saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Rylee Mahaffey, who dropped a double-double with ten points and 11 boards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Leah Nelson, who went 5-for-11 on her way to 11 points and five assists.
Meanwhile, Ferndale played a tough matchup on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 41-19 to North Star.
Like Purchase Line, Ferndale lost despite seeing results from several players. Lydia Hyland led the charge by putting up five points along with 11 rebounds and three steals. Hyland is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down ten or more in each of the last three games she's played.
Ferndale's record is now 1-5. As for Purchase Line, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Purchase Line has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ferndale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Purchase Line against Ferndale in their previous meeting back in February, as the squad secured a 46-16 win. Will the Red Dragons repeat their success, or do the Yellow Jackets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
