Preview: Sparta Spartans vs. Aquinas Blugolds
Sparta is 0-10 against Aquinas since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Sparta Spartans will be playing at home against the Aquinas Blugolds at 7:15 p.m. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Sparta has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Aquinas will arrive with seven straight wins.
After soaring to 56 points the game before, Sparta were a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They were dealt a 56-25 loss at the hands of Onalaska. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Sparta has scored all season.
Despite the loss, Sparta saw an underclassman step up: Elexa Jones scored seven points along with three steals. Jones has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played.
Sparta struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Aquinas beat Cotter 62-50 on Tuesday.
Aquinas found their leader in underclassman Samantha Davis, who scored 22 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Davis is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 15 or more in the last 19 games she's played. Ava Fernholz was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds.
Sparta dropped their record down to 6-15 with that loss, which was their eighth straight on the road. As for Aquinas, their victory bumped their record up to 18-3.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Sparta have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Aquinas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Sparta took a serious blow against Aquinas in their previous matchup back in January, falling 89-37. The contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Sparta was down 55-20.
