Hanks and the Matadors are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Hanks Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Parkland Matadors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hanks has five straight victories, the Matadors have three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Tuesday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Hanks beat the Conquistadores 53-47.
Israel Gonzalez continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Martin Gomez was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Meanwhile, Parkland was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 49-44 to the Highlanders.
Despite the defeat, Parkland saw an underclassman step up: Jayden Whitt scored eight points. The team also got some help courtesy of Keanu Timoteo, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Hanks pushed their record up to 15-13 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. As for Parkland, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-18 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hanks have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Parkland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hanks took their win against the Matadors when the teams last played back in January by a conclusive 61-37. Will Hanks repeat their success, or do the Matadors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
