The Barberton Magics will take on the Roosevelt Rough Riders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Barberton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 54.9 points per game this season.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Barberton turned things around against Tallmadge on Tuesday. They escaped with a win against the Blue Devils by the margin of a single free throw, 55-54. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Magics' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 296th, while the Blue Devils are ranked 141st).
| 02/04/25 vs Tallmadge | 22 |
| 12/14/24 vs Walsh Jesuit | 21 |
| 12/03/24 @ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy | 21 |
| 12/17/24 vs Aurora | 20 |
| 01/19/25 @ Hoover | 19 |
Kardiay Tyler continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 10 of 21 on his way to 22 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Joey Ondo, who posted ten points in addition to seven assists and seven boards.
They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Barberton was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Roosevelt was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their ninth straight defeat. They received a blow as they fell 58-44 to Cuyahoga Falls.
Barberton will need focus on slowing down Jaden Dennison, one of several Roosevelt players who made an impact when they last played. He had eight points and four steals. Gavin Peeps was another key player, putting up six points and five rebounds.
Roosevelt's loss dropped their record down to 4-14. As for Barberton, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Barberton has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 45.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Roosevelt struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Barberton was able to grind out a solid victory over Roosevelt in their previous matchup back in January, winning 59-49. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Peeps, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 18 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Barberton still be able to contain Peeps? There's only one way to find out.
