Two dominant guards in Leelu Bare and Kylee Falatea are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Skyline Eagles will host the West Panthers at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row, Skyline turned things around against East on Friday. They managed a 42-37 win over the Leopards.
Skyline's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mia Johnson, who posted 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bare, who had seven points in addition to nine boards and six assists.
Meanwhile, West put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their matchup with ease, bagging an 80-30 win over East. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
West's win came from a few key players Skyline will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Falatea, who put up 19 points along with five assists and four steals. She has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 32 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Martinez, who went 6 of 10 on her way to 19 points and three steals.
West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 34 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 16 offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive contests.
West pushed their record up to 13-0 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.9 points per game. As for Skyline, their win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 4-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Skyline has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 boards per game. However, it's not like West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 54 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Skyline suffered a grim 80-54 defeat to West in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Skyline avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
