Grafton is 1-9 against the Cougars since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Grafton Bearcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lincoln Cougars at 7:30 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in West Virginia (Grafton is ranked 38th, while the Cougars are ranked 46th).
Grafton unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a 38-34 hit to the loss column at the hands of Robert C. Byrd. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Grafton in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost four in a row.
Despite the defeat, Grafton saw an underclassman step up: Kenna Keener dropped a double-double on 11 points and 17 rebounds. Keener has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last 12 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kambree Delaney, who scored six points.
Even though they lost, Grafton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Robert C. Byrd only pulled down three offensive rebounds.
Lincoln can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 79-41 win over Preston.
Ashlyn Riley continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, shooting 9-for-12 from deep and dropping a double-double on 41 points and ten rebounds. That makes it five consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Lincoln's points. Brooklyn Davisson was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and nine assists.
Grafton's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-6. As for Lincoln, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Grafton have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Grafton came up short against the Cougars when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 48-42. Will Grafton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
