Two dominant guards in Garrett Sprutte and Bronson Gilyard are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Southeast Pirates will head out on the road to square off against the Aquinas Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Southeast is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
Southeast suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Tuesday. They were dealt a 77-47 defeat at the hands of Mogadore. Southeast has not had much luck with Mogadore recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
Southeast's loss came about despite a quality game from Sprutte, who scored 24 points along with nine rebounds. That was a full 51.1% of Southeast's points, marking the 11th time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Meanwhile, Aquinas scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 73-41 win over North at home. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Aquinas.
Gilyard was his usual excellent self, scoring 22 points along with six assists and six rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeante Brown, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and five steals.
Southeast's loss dropped their record down to 6-5. As for Aquinas, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Southeast have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 12.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Aquinas struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 25.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Southeast ended up a good deal behind Aquinas when the teams last played back in January of 2023, losing 69-52. Can Southeast avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
