Preview: Hardaway Hawks vs. Shaw Raiders
Hardaway is 8-2 against Shaw since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Hardaway Hawks will be playing at home against the Shaw Raiders at 7:30 p.m. Hardaway is coming into the game hot, having won their last 18 games.
Hardaway put the finishing touches on their 16th blowout victory of the season last Saturday. They claimed a resounding 70-31 win over Bainbridge at home. Given Hardaway's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 36th, while Bainbridge is ranked 235th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Akilah Shelton continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 30 points along with seven rebounds and six steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jenaiya Hardy, who scored 13 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Shaw over Cairo in every quarter on their way to victory on Monday. Shaw was the clear victor by a 74-52 margin over Cairo. Shaw pushed the score to 59-38 by the end of the third, a deficit Cairo had little chance of recovering from.
Shaw's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tiara Tucker, who scored 24 points along with five steals and two blocks. It was the first time this season that Tucker posted two or more blocks. Quishyi Walcott was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 13 points and 11 steals.
Hardaway pushed their record up to 21-4 with that win, which was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season. They've been dominating during the games in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 35.3 points. As for Shaw, their win bumped their record up to 14-11.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hardaway have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Shaw struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Hardaway against Shaw when the teams last played two weeks ago as the team secured a 67-26 victory. In that game, Hardaway amassed a halftime lead of 51-15, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
