Union is 0-10 against Monroe Central since January of 2018 but things could change on Tuesday. The Union Rockets will square off against the Monroe Central Golden Bears at 6:00 p.m.
Last Friday, Union had to suffer through a 52-25 loss at the hands of Daleville. The Rockets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The losing side was boosted by Glory Ellis, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine rebounds. That was a full 56% of Union's points, marking the third time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Melissa Schmucker, who had two points and six boards.
Even though they lost, Union smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in eight consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Monroe Central humbled Blue River Valley with a 66-17 victory. The Golden Bears have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 20 points or more this season.
Monroe Central's win came from a few key players Union will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Sydney Patterson, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 16 points and five steals. She has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 13 times she's played. Abe Ervin was another key player, going 8 for 11 en route to 16 points and five assists.
Monroe Central has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 32.2 points. As for Union, their loss dropped their record down to 6-15.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Union has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Monroe Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Union was taken down by Monroe Central 57-15 in their previous meeting back in January. That match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Union was down 31-9.
