The Cotopaxi Pirates are on the road again on Friday and plays the Burlington Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on March 1st. Cotopaxi's defense has only allowed 29.3 points per game this season, so Burlington's offense will have their work cut out for them.
It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Cotopaxi can now relate to. They fell 37-24 to the Mustangs on Tuesday. Cotopaxi has struggled against Sanford recently, as their match on Tuesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Cotopaxi had strong showings from Eden Merrill, who scored nine points along with four steals, and Hayden Eggleston, who scored ten points along with four steals. Eggleston hasn't dropped below two steals for ten straight games.
Meanwhile, Burlington had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27.8 points), and they went ahead and made it seven on Saturday. They came out on top against Simla by a score of 59-49. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 11 to 4 on the offensive boards, as Burlington did.
Burlington's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kiyarra Williams, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds. Williams is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last nine games she's played. Another player making a difference was Lynzee Neal, who scored 19 points along with four steals.
Cotopaxi's defeat dropped their record down to 12-8. As for Burlington, their win bumped their record up to 17-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Cotopaxi have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Burlington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. 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
