Basketball Preview: Mattamuskeet Lakers vs. Hobgood Charter Raiders
Mattamuskeet is on a seven-game streak of home losses (dating back to last season), the Raiders a six-game streak of away losses (dating back to last season), but someone's luck is about to change. Having just played yesterday, the Mattamuskeet Lakers will get right back to it and host the Hobgood Charter Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
On Thursday, Mattamuskeet was beaten by the Raiders 62-34. While losing is never fun, Mattamuskeet can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 588th, while the Raiders are ranked 247th).
The losing side was boosted by Kensley Cox, who scored 21 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. That was a full 61.8% of Mattamuskeet's points, marking the 13th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was ANGIE MENDOZA, who scored nine points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Hobgood Charter came up short against the Hurricanes on Tuesday and fell 50-42. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Hobgood Charter in their matchups with the Hurricanes: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite their loss, Hobgood Charter saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Janiya Blanding, who scored 15 points along with five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Blanding is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three games straight. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Rae Cannon, who scored nine points.
Mattamuskeet's loss dropped their record down to 1-12. As for Hobgood Charter, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season.
Friday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Mattamuskeet have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hobgood Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mattamuskeet was dealt a bruising 37-5 loss at the hands of the Raiders in their previous meeting back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Blanding, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Now that Mattamuskeet knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
