West Orange has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Hudson Catholic Hawks at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hopefully West Orange is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Hudson Catholic in New Jersey (West Orange is ranked 17th, while Hudson Catholic is ranked 134th).
West Orange was handed a three-point loss in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Columbia on Thursday. West Orange claimed a resounding 59-24 win over Columbia at home. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win West Orange has posted since January 3rd.
It was another big night for Anaya Karriem, who scored 12 points along with six blocks and five rebounds. Karriem is absolutely dominating the block category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Zoe Francis-Bunkley was another key contributor, scoring six points along with six steals.
Meanwhile, Hudson Catholic's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They took a 46-38 hit to the loss column at the hands of Union City. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Hudson Catholic in their matchups with Union City: they've now lost six in a row.
West Orange is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. As for Hudson Catholic, they bumped their record down to 4-7 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road.
West Orange took their victory against Hudson Catholic in their previous matchup back in December of 2018 by a conclusive 64-39. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Orange since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
