Basketball Game Preview: Yorktown Tigers vs. Cowan Blackhawks

The Yorktown Tigers will square off against the Cowan Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Yorktown is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 51.8 points per game this season.

Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Yorktown turned things around against Wes-Del on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 66-50 victory over the Warriors.

Yorktown's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ryan Burkholder, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. The dominant performance also gave Burkholder a new career-high in assists (four). Ephraim Daugherty was another key player, going 6 of 11 on his way to 15 points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Cowan was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their 11th straight defeat dating back to last season. They were dealt a 64-26 loss at the hands of Eastbrook. The Blackhawks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-7.

Yorktown will have to keep a close watch on Jake Self and Luke Garrett, a pair of players who had a big impact on Cowan's prior game. Self posted seven points, while Garrett put up five points and six rebounds.

Cowan's defeat dropped their record down to 0-10. As for Yorktown, their victory bumped their record up to 4-7.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Yorktown has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 20.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Cowan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Yorktown took their win against Cowan when the teams last played back in January of 2023 by a conclusive 81-61. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Cowan's Cole Duncan, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 11 rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Yorktown to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.