The Humboldt Cubs and the Erie Red Devils will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Humboldt can now show off nine landslide victories after their most recent matchup on Friday. They breezed by St. Paul at home to the tune of 53-26. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Humboldt has posted since December 5, 2023.
It was another big night for Colden Cook, who scored 20 points along with seven rebounds and five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Sam Hull, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Erie entered their tilt with Osawatomie with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Erie sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 44-42 win over Osawatomie on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Erie has posted yet this season.
Ethan Dillinger was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 15 points and 14 rebounds. Dillinger is absolutely dominating the steal category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Michael Richenburg was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Humboldt's victory was their 13th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-2. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 28.85 points. As for Erie, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season.
Friday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Humboldt have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Erie struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Humboldt was able to grind out a solid win over Erie when the teams last played back in December of 2023, winning 41-31. The rematch might be a little tougher for Humboldt since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
