Two dominant guards in Shakirah Edwards and Kenijah Clayton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Rutherford Rams will take on the Godby Cougars at TBD on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Rutherford had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Taylor County 69-19 on the road on Wednesday. Rutherford is really starting to get used to good results now that the team's won 21 straight.
Rutherford found their leader in underclassman Ka?nahla Hayes, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time this season that Hayes pulled down eight or more rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ayonnie Houston, who scored ten points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Godby was handed a three-point loss in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Gadsden County on Wednesday. Godby took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 56-4 victory over Gadsden County. Given Godby's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 214th, while Gadsden County is ranked 454th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Godby can attribute much of their success to Cristina Brown, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and five steals, and Clayton, who scored 16 points along with eight steals and five assists. Aniyah Lewis was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six steals.
Rutherford's win bumped their record up to 23-1. As for Godby, their win bumped their record up to 16-9.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rutherford have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Godby struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Rutherford against Godby when the teams last played back in January as the team secured a 68-30 win. With Rutherford ahead 48-20 at the half, the game was all but over already.
