Two dominant guards in Jayon Connor and Cade Keller are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. Having just played yesterday, the Alexander Central Cougars will jump right back in to play the Watauga Pioneers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Alexander Central took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 57-34 margin over Ashe County. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Huskies recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Connor continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double with 37 points and 15 boards. That makes it 15 consecutive games in which he has scored at least a third of Alexander Central's points. Jaheim Redmond was another key player, putting up six points along with seven assists and three steals.
Alexander Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Watauga had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.6 points) and they went ahead and made it eight on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Huskies 70-43. The Pioneers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 22 points or more this season.
Alexander Central better keep an eye on Keller. He was instrumental in Watauga's win, going 9-for-12 to rack up 21 points and three steals. Thanks to that strong game, Keller now owns an excellent 45.6% shooting accuracy. Another player making a difference was Josiah Railey, who went 7-for-14 en route to 15 points and three steals.
Watauga pushed their record up to 17-6 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.2 points over those games. As for Alexander Central, the win got them back to even at 12-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Alexander Central has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Watauga struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Alexander Central came up short against Watauga when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 55-43. Can Alexander Central avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
