The Salem Hills Skyhawks will head out on the road to face off against the West Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
With a playoff game on the line, Salem Hills rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Leopards 78-51 at home. Salem Hills' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Madi King was her usual excellent self, almost dropping a triple-double on 15 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. It was the first time this season that she posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Chenielle Nye, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, West waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins but they left with four. They enjoyed a cozy 67-48 victory over Highland. West pushed the score to 53-27 by the end of the third, a deficit Highland cut but never quite recovered from.
Fina Tuha and Kylee Falatea were among the main playmakers for West as the former dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds and the latter dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten steals. Tuha is crushing the rebound category: she's posted at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Kaydence Falatea, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Salem Hills' victory bumped their record up to 15-9. As for West, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6.
Thursday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Salem Hills have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.9% of their threes per game. However, it's not like West struggles in that department as they've made 38% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
