After two games on the road, Green Hope is heading back home. They will take on the Middle Creek Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Green Hope pushed their score all the way to 60 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They lost to Leesville Road on the road by a decisive 79-60 margin. Even though they lost, Green Hope's still made a splash on offense and bumped their average scoring up to 50.2 points per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Despite their defeat, Green Hope saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Rafik Khismatov, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Khismatov is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Nikhil Ranga was another key contributor, scoring 16 points.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought game, but Middle Creek had to settle for a 55-52 loss against Garner on Thursday. Middle Creek has struggled against Garner recently, as their contest on Thursday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Despite their loss, Middle Creek saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Yasir Hall, who scored 18 points along with 7 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Hall scored a full 34.6% of Middle Creek's points, the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Ihle, who scored 12 points along with 8 rebounds.
Green Hope's loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 1-5. As for Middle Creek, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Green Hope hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 50.2 points per game. It's a different story for Middle Creek, though, as they've been averaging only 49.3 per game. The only thing between Green Hope and another offensive beatdown is Middle Creek. Will they be able to keep them contained? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Green Hope suffered a grim 76-50 defeat to Middle Creek when the teams last played back in January. Can Green Hope avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
