Hancock hasn't had much luck against Turkeyfoot Valley Area recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Hancock Panthers will take on the Turkeyfoot Valley Area Rams in a tournament on Friday. Hancock is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55 points per game this season.
Last Thursday, Hancock came up short against Berkeley Springs and fell 56-49.
Despite their loss, Hancock saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jacob Anderson, who posted 15 points and five steals, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Hill, who put up 16 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Turkeyfoot Valley Area had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.5 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Saturday. They took down the Vikings 77-59.
Turkeyfoot Valley Area had a senior duo take command as Bryce Nicholson posted 27 points along with five boards and four steals and Zack Ryan dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. Nicholson is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least four every time he's taken the court this season. Colt Rugg was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Turkeyfoot Valley Area smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.
Hancock's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Turkeyfoot Valley Area, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Hancock has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27 boards per game. However, it's not like Turkeyfoot Valley Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Hancock lost to Turkeyfoot Valley Area on the road by a decisive 98-84 margin when the teams last played back in January. Can Hancock avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
