Madison is on a seven-game streak of home wins, while Sterling is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Madison Marlins will take on the Sterling Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Tuesday, Madison took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 94-54 victory over Wisdom. Given Madison's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 339th, while Wisdom is ranked 1589th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Madison got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Marquez Hubbard-chenault out in front who dropped a triple-double on 14 points, ten assists, and ten steals. Hubbard-chenault hasn't dropped below three steals for six straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Joe Whylie, who scored 22 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Sterling blew past Northside, posting a 81-49 victory on the road.
It was another big night for Darnell Williams, who scored 21 points along with four steals. He hasn't dropped below two steals for eight straight games. Another player making a difference was Joshua Augustine, who scored 13 points.
Madison is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 17 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 22-7 record this season. As for Sterling, their victory bumped their record up to 17-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Madison have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sterling struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Madison was able to grind out a solid win over Sterling when the teams last played back in January, winning 70-63. Does Madison have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sterling turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
