Basketball Game Preview: ASU Prep Poly vs. Heritage Academy Gateway Heroes

ASU Prep Poly and the Heritage Academy Gateway Heroes will compete for holiday cheer at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. ASU Prep Poly is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.

Last Monday, ASU Prep Poly was beaten by Eduprize 89-45. While losing is never fun, ASU Prep Poly can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 253rd, while Eduprize is ranked 17th).

ASU Prep Poly's defeat came about despite a quality game from Justin Hudson, who went 8 of 20 on his way to 23 points and five steals. That was a full 51.1% of ASU Prep Poly's points, marking the fifth time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points.

Meanwhile, Heritage Academy Gateway played a tough matchup on Monday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 67-38 loss at the hands of East Valley Athletes for Christ. The defeat continues a trend for the Heroes in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost seven in a row.

Loss or not, Heritage Academy Gateway got some senior leadership from Talon Lemieux and Ephraim Smith. Lemieux put up eight points and eight rebounds, while Smith had nine points.

Heritage Academy Gateway now has a losing record at 2-3. As for ASU Prep Poly, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: ASU Prep Poly has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Heritage Academy Gateway struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

ASU Prep Poly and Heritage Academy Gateway were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January, but ASU Prep Poly came up empty-handed after a 47-46 loss. Will ASU Prep Poly have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.