Rockford East is 8-2 against Harlem since February of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Rockford East E-Rabs will host the Harlem Huskies at 7:15 p.m. Rockford East knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Harlem likes a good challenge.
Last Wednesday, Rockford East beat Belvidere 74-61. Given the E-Rabs' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 167th, while the Bucs are ranked 532nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 02/05/25 vs Belvidere | 5 |
| 02/03/25 @ Freeport | 2 |
| 01/22/25 vs Belvidere North | 2 |
Rockford East's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Brian Harper led the charge by going 7 of 10 en route to 17 points in addition to five assists and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Harper is now averaging an impressive 2.1 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Marquis Goldsmith, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 15 boards.
Rockford East smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Harlem came up short against Hononegah on Wednesday and fell 66-56. The Huskies haven't had much luck with the Indians recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Rockford East will need focus on slowing down Amhaad Heard, one of several Harlem players who made an impact when they last played. He went 6 for 8 on his way to 14 points and eight rebounds. That's the most boards Heard has posted since back in November of 2024. Matthew Saunders was another key player, going 5 of 9 en route to 17 points.
Rockford East's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-11. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.2 points per game. As for Harlem, their loss dropped their record down to 10-16.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Rockford East has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 31.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Harlem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Rockford East barely slipped by Harlem in their previous meeting back in January, winning 47-46. Will Rockford East repeat their success, or does Harlem have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
