Preview: Orange County Fighting Hornets vs. Madison County Mountaineers
Orange County is 2-8 against Madison County since December of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Orange County Fighting Hornets just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Madison County Mountaineers at 7:30 p.m. on December 13th. Hopefully Orange County is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Madison County in Virginia (Orange County is ranked 77th, while Madison County is ranked 270th).
Orange County unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a rough 73-44 loss at the hands of Charlottesville. Orange County was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 40-17.
The losing side was boosted by Chloe Herbert, who scored 21 points. Those 21 points set a new season-high mark for she. Laney Fayard was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Meanwhile, Madison County came up short against Luray on Tuesday and fell 52-39.
Despite their defeat, Madison County saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Annie Herrman, who scored nine points, was perhaps the best of all. Herrman continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Evie Foster, who scored eight points.
Even though they lost, Madison County were working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Orange County's defeat dropped their record down to 5-1. As for Madison County, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Orange County have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Madison County, though, as they've been averaging only 28.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Orange County against Madison County in their previous matchup back in November as the squad secured a 63-34 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Orange County since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
