Preview: Hammond Golden Bears vs. Southern Bulldogs
After two games on the road, Hammond is heading back home. They will take on the Southern Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Hammond had no problem doing just that on Friday. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 70-26 win over the Knights. Given Hammond's advantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while Century is ranked 129th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sara Yarnell and Nia Green were among the main playmakers for Hammond as the former dropped a double-double on 18 points and 19 rebounds and the latter dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 rebounds. Green is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three games straight. Another player making a difference was Asia Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Southern waltzed into their match on Friday with four straight wins but they left with five. They blew past Poolesville, posting a 66-31 win at home.
Southern's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Sidney Shaw, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. Shaw continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Wooster, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Hammond's victory bumped their record up to 23-0. As for Southern, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 16-7 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hammond have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Southern struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hammond was taken down by Southern 57-16 when the teams last played back in December of 2019. Will Hammond have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
