The Union Mine Diamondbacks and the Argonaut Mustangs will face off at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday without much rest having both just played.
Union Mine is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Liberty Ranch just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 61-39 to the Hawks. While losing is never fun, the Diamondbacks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 617th, while the Hawks are ranked 185th).
Despite their loss, Union Mine saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Adriana Cavallaro, who went 7 for 15 en route to 18 points, was perhaps the best of all. Kamdyn Keeler was another key player, putting up seven points and five steals.
Meanwhile, Argonaut came tearing into Tuesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23 points) and they left with even more momentum. They secured a 50-46 W over the Cougars. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly four points.
Argonaut's win came from a few key players Union Mine will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Alayna Critchfield, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 23 boards. Critchfield is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: she's pulled down at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Avila, who posted 17 points and five assists.
Argonaut smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 22 consecutive games.
Argonaut is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 13-9 record this season. As for Union Mine, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-12.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Union Mine has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 35.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Argonaut struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Union Mine was able to grind out a solid win over Argonaut in their previous matchup on January 10th, winning 45-35. The rematch might be a little tougher for Union Mine since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
