The East Leopards will take on the Brighton Bengals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
East is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Olympus on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. East came up short against Olympus, falling 53-28.
Nora Amidbakarr
| 02/11/25 @ Olympus | 12 |
| 02/07/25 @ Highland | 9 |
| 02/04/25 vs West | 8 |
| 01/31/25 vs Skyline | 18 |
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Nora Amidbakarr, who posted four points in addition to 12 rebounds and three steals. She has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Taya Taylor, who put up eight points and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Brighton had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 25.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They walked away with a 69-56 victory over the Hawks.
Brighton's win came from a few key players East will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Charlotte Oneal, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and ten boards. What's more, she also racked up four blocks, the most she's had since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Lucy Chin, who went 6-for-11 to rack up 18 points.
Brighton pushed their record up to 15-7 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 27.8 points. As for East, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost ten of their last 13 matches, which has put a noticeable dent in their 5-16 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: East has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Brighton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
East might still be hurting after the 52-32 loss they got from Brighton in their previous meeting back in January. Will East have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
