After both having extra time off, the Freedom Patriots and the Middleton Tigers will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Freedom is looking for their season's first win.
Freedom is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Wharton last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Freedom took a blow against Wharton, falling 66-33.
Despite the defeat, Freedom saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Nyasia Davis had 16 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Middleton was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap last Thursday as they fell 41-36 to East Bay. The loss was the Tigers' first of the season.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Zion Cooper, who earned eight points in addition to ten rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last six games she's played dating back to last season. Thea Williams was another key player, earning nine points in addition to two steals.
Even though they lost, Middleton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Freedom's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Middleton, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Freedom has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 21.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Middleton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 41.7. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Freedom took a serious blow against Middleton in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, falling 61-27. Will Freedom have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
