The Genoa-Hugo/Karval Pirates are taking a road trip to square off against the Elbert Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They walked away with a 44-35 victory over Otis.
Kazlei Vaughn
| 02/22/25 vs Otis | 4 |
| 02/20/25 @ Eads | 2 |
| 02/19/25 @ Miami-Yoder | 4 |
| 02/15/25 vs Kit Carson | 5 |
| 02/14/25 vs Deer Trail | 5 |
| + 5 more games |
Genoa-Hugo/Karval's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kazlei Vaughn led the charge by putting up 15 points and four steals. Vaughn has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last ten times she's played. Rylee Kelly was another key player, posting eight points and five steals.
Meanwhile, Elbert waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 44-25 win over the Eagles. The Bulldogs pushed the score to 35-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Eagles cut but never quite recovered from.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval better focus on containing Piper Warren and Melanie Hermes as the pair were huge in Elbert's win. Warren dropped a double-double with 13 points and 20 boards, while Hermes posted 16 points and three steals. Maisey Petersen also deserves some recognition as she scored her first points of the season.
Elbert smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-11. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.3 points over those games. As for Elbert, their record is now 9-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Genoa-Hugo/Karval has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 23.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Elbert struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Genoa-Hugo/Karval came up short against Elbert in their previous matchup back in February of 2019, falling 30-24. Can Genoa-Hugo/Karval avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
