The Western Wildcats had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They really took it to Hialeah Gardens for the full four quarters, racking up a 81-44 win on the road. Western has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 20 points or more this season.
Western got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ethan Panton-Hazell out in front who scored ten points along with six rebounds and two blocks. Stefan Frisby was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Defeat or not, Hialeah Gardens got some senior leadership from Khalil Volel and Sebastian Pupo. Volel scored 20 points along with eight rebounds, while Pupo. scored 14 points along with seven assists and five rebounds. Volel hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for six straight games. Another player making a difference was Max Johnson, who scored two points along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Even though they lost, Hialeah Gardens smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
The victory was the seventh in a row for Western, bringing their record for this year to 20-7. As for Hialeah Gardens, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-7.
Western is on the road again on Tuesday and plays Columbus at 7:00 p.m. on February 20th. Columbus knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past 27 matchups -- so hopefully Western likes a good challenge. Hialeah Gardens does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
