The Killian Cougars will face off against the Hialeah Gardens Gladiators at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Killian is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.2 points per game this season.
Killian lost 71-46 to Goleman on Tuesday.
Despite the defeat, Killian had strong showings from Matthew Gonzalez, who posted eight points, and Christian Torres, who earned 13 points.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hialeah Gardens). They breezed by iMater Charter to the tune of 78-39 on Wednesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Killian better focus on containing Sean Leon and Eduardo Hernandez as the pair were huge in Hialeah Gardens' win. Leon had 20 points in addition to seven boards and five assists, while Hernandez put up 28 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Hernandez is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Josiel Valdez, who posted eight points and five steals.
Hialeah Gardens smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 19 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Killian has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Hialeah Gardens, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Killian has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Hialeah Gardens struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.3 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Killian was dealt a bruising 64-27 loss at the hands of Hialeah Gardens in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Can Killian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
