Basketball Preview: Athens Drive Jaguars vs. Cleveland Rams
The Athens Drive Jaguars will square off against the Cleveland Rams at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Athens Drive will be strutting in after a win while Cleveland will be coming in after a loss.
Athens Drive took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They snuck past Fuquay - Varina with a 35-30 victory.
Athens Drive's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kianna Gulley, who went 6 for 15 en route to 14 points plus seven steals and two blocks. That makes it four consecutive games in which Gulley has scored at least a third of Athens Drive's points. Another player making a difference was Makenzie Kelly, who scored eight points in addition to five steals.
Meanwhile, a win for Cleveland just wasn't in the cards on Tuesday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They took a blow against Wakefield, falling 70-37. The Rams were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-15.
Despite the defeat, Cleveland had strong showings from Martina Paz-Aquino, who earned eight points along with 11 rebounds and three steals, and Angelia Dunn, who posted 14 points plus four steals. Dunn is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 23 games she's played dating back to last season.
Athens Drive now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Cleveland, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Athens Drive has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Athens Drive came up short against Cleveland in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, falling 45-36. Will Athens Drive have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
