After two games on the road, John Hay is heading back home. They will take on the Rhodes Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (John Hay: 27.8, Rhodes: 26.8) so any points scored will be well earned.
John Hay put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 70-16 win over Bard Early College. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory John Hay has posted yet this season.
John Hay's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from 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.
Meanwhile, Rhodes was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 34-29 to Shaw. Rhodes has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
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.
John Hay pushed their record up to 7-2 with that win, which was their third straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.7 points per game. As for Rhodes, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: John Hay have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 32.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Rhodes struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 21.6 rebounds per game. Given John Hay's sizeable advantage in that area, Rhodes will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for John Hay against Rhodes in their previous meeting back in January of 2022 as the team secured a 92-6 win. Will John Hay repeat their success, or does Rhodes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
