Preview: Parker Thundering Herd vs. Carver Birmingham Rams
Parker is 2-8 against Carver Birmingham since January of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Parker Thundering Herd will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Carver Birmingham Rams at 12:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Parker had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They snuck past Anniston with a 45-41 win.
Parker found their leader in underclassman Janiya Mines, who scored 25 points along with four steals. Those 25 points set a new season-high mark for her. Taniya Smith was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five steals.
Meanwhile, Carver Birmingham's eight-game losing streak came to an end on Thursday. They had just enough and edged Fultondale out 45-42. Carver Birmingham's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Parker pushed their record up to 9-4 with that win, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Carver Birmingham, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-10.
Everything came up roses for Parker against Carver Birmingham in their previous matchup back in December of 2022 as the team secured a 55-17 win. Will Parker repeat their success, or does Carver Birmingham have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
