Rockwood is 0-10 against North Star since December of 2018 but things could change on Friday. The Rockwood Rockets will be playing in front of their home fans against the North Star Cougars at 7:15 p.m.
Rockwood is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 17th straight game dating back to last season on Wednesday. They were outmatched by Berlin Brothersvalley and fell 71-31. The Rockets were down 61-22 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Tammo Leeferink put forth a good effort for the losing side as he posted four points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Garrison Hale, who had two points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Star). They took their match on Wednesday with ease, bagging an 84-37 victory over Meyersdale. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 28 points or more this season.
Rockwood better keep an eye on Ethan Smith. He was instrumental in North Star's win, almost dropping a triple-double on 24 points, nine boards, and nine steals. With that strong performance, Smith is now averaging an impressive 15.4 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Andy Retassie, who earned 16 points along with seven boards and five assists.
North Star smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive games.
North Star's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-3. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 27.1 points. As for Rockwood, their loss dropped their record down to 0-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Rockwood has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.1 boards per game. However, it's not like North Star struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Rockwood was dealt a bruising 67-32 defeat at the hands of North Star in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Rockwood avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
