Preview: Martin Tigers vs. Palmview Lobos
The Martin Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Palmview Lobos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Martin is hoping to put an end to a five-game streak of away losses.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Martin beat Winn 33-29.
Shelby Botello and Kiara Gonzalez were among the main playmakers for Martin as the former scored nine points along with nine rebounds and the latter scored 14 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Botello also posted two blocks for the first time this season.
Palmview has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 games by 20 points or more this season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Economedes 59-23 on the road. Winning may never get old, but Palmview sure is getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Palmview's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mia Rojas led the charge by scoring 17 points along with six steals. The match was Rojas' 14th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jocelyn Rojas, who scored 17 points along with four steals.
Martin is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 9-13 record this season. As for Palmview, their victory bumped their record up to 17-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Martin have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Palmview struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 19.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Martin couldn't quite finish off Palmview in their previous matchup back in February and fell 48-46. Can Martin avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
