Hardin County hasn't had much luck against Pope County recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Hardin County Cougars will look to defend their home court against the Pope County Pirates at 4:00 p.m.
Hardin County is headed into Thursday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a 48-16 loss at the hands of Carmi-White County. The matchup marked the Cougars' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Despite the loss, Hardin County saw an underclassman step up: freshman Benna Williams posted 16 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Pope County had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 25.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They took down the Centurions 44-27.
Pope County's win came from a few key players Hardin County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bella Fasolo, who put up 15 points along with six rebounds and four steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 18 games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Holmes, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 17 boards.
Hardin County's defeat dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Pope County, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hardin County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Pope County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 45.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hardin County was dealt a bruising 77-15 loss at the hands of Pope County when the teams last played back in January. Thankfully for Hardin County, Ahry Comer (who almost dropped a double-double on 19 points and nine steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
