The Rhodes Rams on the road again on Tuesday and play against John Hay at 7:00 p.m. on January 16th. Rhodes' defense has only allowed 26.8 points per game this season, so John Hay's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Last Tuesday, Rhodes was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 34-29 to Shaw.
Rhodes' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Betsaida Byrd, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds and six blocks, and Daniya King who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, John Hay came tearing into Friday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 44.6 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Bard Early College 70-16 on the road. John Hay has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 25 points or more this season.
John Hay's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tylia Parker, who scored 21 points along with six steals. Parker is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Carr, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Rhodes' loss dropped their record down to 5-3. As for John Hay, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-2.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rhodes have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 21.6 rebounds per game. It's a different story for John Hay, though, as they've been averaging only 32.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rhodes took a serious blow against John Hay in their previous meeting back in January of 2022, falling 92-6. Can Rhodes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
